Dice Rolls

Action Roll

When a player character does something challenging, the GM calls for an action roll to see how it turns out. An action is challenging if there's an obstacle to the PC's goal that's dangerous or troublesome in some way.

Otherwise, if their action is something that we'd expect them to simply accomplish, then we don't make an action roll. You might make a fortune roll or a downtime roll or the GM will simply say yes—and you accomplish your goal. Each game group will have their own ideas about what "challenging" means. This is good! It's something that establishes the tone and style of your Blades series.

To make an action roll, we go through six steps. In play, they flow together somewhat, but let's break each one down here for clarity.

1. The player states their goal for the action.
2. The player chooses the action rating.
3. The GM sets the position and effect level for the roll.
4. Player adds bonus dice.
5. The player rolls the dice and we judge the result.

1. The Player States Their Goal

Your goal is the concrete outcome your character will achieve when they overcome the obstacle at hand. Usually the character's goal is pretty obvious in context, but it's the GM's job to ask and clarify the goal when necessary.

"You're punching him in the face, right? Okay... what do want to get out of this? Do you want to take him out, or just rough him up so he'll do what you want?"

2. The Player Chooses the Action Rating

The player chooses which action rating to roll, following from what their character is doing on-screen. If you want to roll your Skirmish action, then get in a fight. If you want to roll your Command action, then order someone around. You can't roll a given action rating unless your character is presently performing that action in the fiction.

3. The GM Sets the Position

Once the player chooses their action, the GM sets the position for the roll. The position represents how dangerous or troublesome the action might be. There are three positions: controlled, risky, and desperate. To choose a position, the GM looks at the profiles for the positions below and picks one that most closely matches the situation at hand.

By default, an action roll is risky. You wouldn't be rolling if there was no risk involved. If the situation seems more dangerous, make it desperate. If it seems less dangerous, make it controlled.

If you're in a controlled position, the possible consequences are less serious. If you're in a desperate position, the consequences can be severe. If you're somewhere in between, it's risky—usually considered the "default" position for most actions.

3b. The GM Sets the Effect Level

The GM assesses the likely effect level of this action, given the factors of the situation. Essentially, the effect level tells us "how much" this action can accomplish: will it have limited, standard, or great effect? Zero effect without criticals or pushing?

The GM's choices for effect level and position can be strongly influenced by the player's choice of action rating. If a player wants to try to make a new friend by Wrecking something—well... maybe that's possible, but the GM wouldn't be crazy to say it's a desperate roll and probably limited effect. Seems like Consorting would be a lot better for that. The players are always free to choose the action they perform, but that doesn't mean all actions should be equally risky or potent.

The GM sets position and effect for an action roll at the same time, after the player says what they're doing and chooses their action. Usually, Risky / Standard is the default combination, modified by the action being used, the strength of the opposition, and the effect factors.

The ability to set position and effect as independent variables gives you nine combinations to choose from, to help you convey a wide array of fictional circumstances.

For example, if a character is facing off alone against a small enemy gang, the situation might be:

• She fights the gang straight up, rushing into their midst, hacking away in a wild Skirmish. In this case, being threatened by the larger force lowers her position to indicate greater risk, and the scale of the gang reduces her effect (Desperate / Limited).
• She fights the gang from a choke-point, like a narrow alleyway where their numbers can't overwhelm her at once. She's not threatened by several at once, so her risk is similar to a one-on-one fight, but there's still a lot of enemies to deal with, so her effect is reduced (Risky / Limited).
• She doesn't fight the gang, instead trying to maneuver her way past them and escape. She's still under threat from many enemy attacks, so her position is worse, but if the ground is open and the gang can't easily corral her, then her effect for escaping isn't reduced (Desperate / Standard). If she had some immediate means of escape (like leaping onto a speeding carriage), then her effect might even be increased (Desperate / Great).
• The gang isn't aware of her yet—she's set up in a sniper position on a nearby roof. She takes a shot against one of them. Their greater numbers aren't a factor, so her effect isn't reduced, and she's not immediately in any danger (Controlled / Great). Maybe instead she wants to fire off a salvo of suppressing fire against the whole gang, in which case their scale applies (Controlled / Limited). If the gang is on guard for potential trouble, her position is more dangerous (Risky / Great). If the gang is alerted to a sniper, then the effect may be reduced further, as they scatter and take cover (Risky / Limited). If the gang is able to muster covering fire while they fall back to a safe position, then things are even worse for our scoundrel (Desperate / Limited).

To assess effect level, first start with your gut feeling, given this situation. Then, if needed, assess three factors that may modify the effect level: potency, scale, and quality. If the PC has an advantage in a given factor, consider a higher effect level. If they have a disadvantage, consider a reduced effect level.

Potency

The potency factor considers particular weaknesses, taking extra time or a bigger risk, or the influence of arcane powers. An infiltrator is more potent if all the lights are extinguished and they move about in the dark.

Quality/Tier

Quality represents the effectiveness of tools, weapons, or other resources, usually summarized by Tier. Fine items count as +1 bonus in quality, stacking with Tier.

Thorn is picking the lock to a safehouse run of a gang reknowned for Occult dealings. Her crew is Tier I and she has fine lockpicks—so she's effectively Tier II. The Occult gang is Tier III. Thorn is outclassed in quality, so her effect will be limited on the lock.

Scale

Scale represents the number of opponents, size of an area covered, scope of influence, etc. Larger scale can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on the situation. In battle, more people are better. When infiltrating, more people are a hindrance.

When considering factors, effect level might be reduced below limited, resulting in zero effect—or increased beyond great, resulting in an extreme effect.

If a PC special ability gives "+1 effect," it comes into play after the GM has assessed the effect level. For example, if you ended up with zero effect, the +1 effect bonus from your Cutter's Bodyguard ability would bump them up to limited effect.

Also, remember that a PC can push themselves (take 2 stress) to get +1 effect on their action.

Every factor won't always apply to every situation. You don't have to do an exact accounting every time, either. Use the factors to help you make a stronger judgment call—don't feel beholden to them.

Effect

In Blades in the Dark, you achieve goals by taking actions and facing consequences. But how many actions does it take to achieve a particular goal? That depends on the effect level of your actions. The GM judges the effect level using the profiles below. Which one best matches the action at hand­­—great, standard, or limited? Each effect level indicates the questions that should be answered for that effect, as well as how many segments to tick if you're using a progress clock.

@TODO add fancy effect levels p23.

Trading Position for Effect

After factors are considered and the GM has announced the effect level, a player might want to trade position for effect, or vice versa. For instance, if they're going to make a risky roll with standard effect (the most common scenario, generally), they might instead want to push their luck and make a desperate roll but with great effect.

This kind of trade-off isn't included in the effect factors because it's not an element the GM should assess when setting the effect level. Once the level is set, though, you can always offer the trade-off to the player if it makes sense in the situation.

"I Prowl across the courtyard and vault over the wall, hiding in the shadows by the canal dock and gondola."

"I don't think you can make it across in one quick dash. The scale of the courtyard is a factor here, so your effect will be limited. Let's say you can get halfway across with this action, then you'll have to Prowl through the other half of the space (and the rest of the guards there) to reach the other side."

"I didn't realize it was that far. Hmmm. Okay, what if I just go as fast as I can. Can I get all the way across if I make a desperate roll?"

"Yep, sounds good to me!"

4. Add Bonus Dice

There are three possible bonus dice that can apply to any roll.

• For one bonus die, you can get assistance from a teammate. They take 1 stress, say how they help you, and give you +1d.
• For another bonus die, you can either push yourself (take 2 stress) or you can accept a Devil's Bargain (you can't get dice for both, it's one or the other).
• Spend a gambit. (This is specific to Scum.)

Pushing Yourself

You can use stress to push yourself for greater performance. For each bonus you choose below, take 2 stress (each can be chosen once for a given action):

• Add +1d to your roll. (This may be used for an action roll or downtime roll or any other kind of roll where extra effort would help you)
• Add +1 level to your effect.
• Take action when you're incapacitated.

N.B. A special ability that says you get a benefit if you push yourself is on top of the above benefit.

The Devil's Bargain

PCs in Blades are reckless scoundrels addicted to destructive vices—they don't always act in their own best interests. To reflect this, the GM or any other player can offer you a bonus die if you accept a Devil's Bargain. Common Devil's Bargains include:

• Collateral damage, unintended harm.
• Sacrifice coin or an item.
• Betray a friend or loved one.
• Offend or anger a faction.
• Start and/or tick a troublesome clock.
• Add heat to the crew from evidence or witnesses.
• Suffer harm.

The Devil's Bargain occurs regardless of the outcome of the roll. You make the deal, pay the price, and get the bonus die.

The Devil's Bargain is always a free choice. If you don't like one, just reject it (or suggest how to alter it so you might consider taking it). You can always just push yourself for that bonus die instead.

If it's ever needed, the GM has final say over which Devil's Bargains are valid.

6. Roll the Dice and Judge the Result

Once the goal, action rating, position, and effect have been established, add any bonus dice and roll the dice pool to determine the outcome. (See the sets of possible outcomes, by position, on the next page.)

@TODO critical table missing: position->severities/flavors.

The action roll does a lot of work for you. It tells you how well the character performs as well as how serious the consequences are for them. They might succeed at their action without any consequences (on a 6), or they might succeed but suffer consequences (on a 4/5), or it might just all go wrong (on a 1-3).

On a 1-3, it's up to the GM to decide if the PC's action has any effect or not, or if it even happens at all. Usually, the action just fails completely, but in some circumstances, it might make sense or be more interesting for the action to have some effect even on a 1-3 result.

Each 4/5 and 1-3 outcome lists suggested consequences for the character. The worse your position, the worse the consequences are. The GM can inflict one or more of these consequences, depending on the circumstances of the action roll. PCs have the ability to avoid or reduce the severity of consequences that they suffer by resisting them.

When you narrate the action after the roll, the GM and player collaborate together to say what happens on-screen. Tell us how you vault across to the other rooftop. Tell us what you say to the Inspector to convince her. The GM will tell us how she reacts. When you face the Red Sash duelist, what's your fighting style like? Etc.

Double-duty Rolls

Since NPCs don't roll for their actions, an action roll does double-duty: it resolves the action of the PC as well as any NPCs that are involved. The single roll tells us how those actions interact and which consequences result. On a 6, the PC wins and has their effect. On a 4/5, it's a mix—both the PC and the NPC have their effect. On a 1-3, the NPC wins and has their effect as a consequence on the PC.

@TODO add Action Roll table p21

Consequences

When a PC suffers an effect from an enemy or a dangerous situation, it's called a consequence. Consequences are the companion to effects. PCs have effect on the world around them and they suffer consequences in return from the risks they face.

A given circumstance such as a partial success or failure might result in one or more consequences, depending on the situation. The GM determines the consequences, following from the fiction and the style and tone established by the game group.

Example from blades p25:

(On a 1-3, the GM might say, "The creature swats your sword aside, clutches you in its hideous grip, and breaks your spine in two." Seriously. Don’t mess with demons.)

Reduced Effect

This consequence represents impaired performance. The PC's action isn't as effective as they'd anticipated. You hit him, but it's only a flesh wound. She accepts the forged invitation, but she'll keep her eye on you throughout the night. You're able to scale the wall, but it's slow going—you're only halfway up. This consequence essentially reduces the effect level of the PC's action by one after all other factors are accounted for.

Complication

This consequence represents trouble, mounting danger, or a new threat. The GM might introduce an immediate problem that results from the action right now: the room catches fire, you're disarmed, the crew takes +1 heat from evidence or witnesses, you lose status with a faction, the target evades you and now it's a chase, reinforcements arrive, etc.

Or the GM might tick a clock for the complication, instead. Maybe there's a clock for the alert level of the guards at the manor. Or maybe the GM creates a new clock for the suspicion of the noble guests at the masquerade party and ticks it. Fill one tick on a clock for a minor complication or two ticks for a standard complication.

A serious complication is more severe: reinforcements surround and trap you, the room catches fire and falling ceiling beams block the door, your weapon is broken, the crew suffers +2 heat, your target escapes out of sight, etc. Fill three ticks on a clock for a serious complication.

Don't inflict a complication that negates a successful roll. If a PC tries to corner an enemy and gets a 4/5, don't say that the enemy escapes. The player's roll succeeded, so the enemy is cornered... maybe the PC has to wrestle them into position and during the scuffle the enemy grabs their gun.

Lost Opportunity

This consequence represents shifting circumstance. You had an opportunity to achieve your goal with this action, but it slips away. To try again, you need a new approach—usually a new form of action or a change in circumstances. Maybe you tried to Skirmish with the noble to trap her on the balcony, but she evades your maneuver and leaps out of reach. If you want to trap her now you'll have to try another way—maybe by Swaying her with your roguish charm.

Worse Position

This consequence represents losing control of the situation—the action carries you into a more dangerous position. Perhaps you make the leap across to the next rooftop, only to end up dangling by your fingertips. You haven't failed, but you haven't succeeded yet, either. You can try again, re-rolling at the new, worse position. This is a good consequence to choose to show escalating action. A situation might go from controlled, to risky, to desperate as the action plays out and the PC gets deeper and deeper in trouble.

Harm

see harm

Resistance Roll

When your PC suffers a consequence that you don't like, you can choose to resist it. Just tell the GM, "No, I don't think so. I'm resisting that." Resistance is always automatically effective—the GM will tell you if the consequence is reduced in severity or if you avoid it entirely. Then, you'll make a resistance roll to see how much stress your character suffers as a result of their resistance.

You make the roll using one of your character's attributes (Insight, Prowess, or Resolve). The GM chooses the attribute, based on the nature of consequences:

• Insight: Consequences from deception or understanding.
• Prowess: Consequences from physical strain or injury.
• Resolve: Consequences from mental strain or willpower.

Your character suffers 6 stress when they resist, minus the highest die result from the resistance roll. So, if you rolled a 4, you'd suffer 2 stress. If you rolled a 6, you'd suffer zero stress. If you get a critical result, you also clear 1 stress.

Ian's character, Silas, is in a desperate Skirmish with several duelists and one of them lands a blow with their sword. Since the position was desperate, the GM inflicts severe harm (modified by any other factors). They tell Ian to record level 3 harm, "Gut Stabbed" on Silas's sheet. Ian decides to resist the harm, instead. The GM says he can reduce the harm by one level if he resists it. Ian rolls 3d for Silas's Prowess attribute and gets a 5. Silas takes 1 stress and the harm is reduced to level 2, "Cut to the Ribs."

Usually, a resistance roll reduces the severity of a consequence. If you're going to suffer fatal harm, for example, a resistance roll would reduce the harm to severe, instead. Or if you got a complication when you were sneaking into the manor house, and the GM was going to mark three ticks on the "Alert" clock, she'd only mark two (or maybe one) if you resisted the complication.

You may only roll against a given consequence once.

The GM also has the option to rule that your character completely avoids the consequence. For instance, maybe you're in a sword fight and the consequence is getting disarmed. When you resist, the GM says that you avoid that consequence completely: you keep hold of your weapon.

By adjusting which consequences are reduced vs. which are avoided, the GM establishes the overall tone of your game. For a more daring game, most consequences will be avoided. For a grittier game, most consequences will only be reduced with resistance.

The GM may also threaten several consequences at once, then the player may choose which ones to resist (and make rolls for each).

"She stabs you and then leaps off the balcony. Level 2 harm and you lose the opportunity to catch her with fighting."

"I'll resist losing the opportunity by grappling her as she attacks. She can stab me, but I don't want to let her escape."

Once you decide to resist a consequence and roll, you suffer the stress indicated. You can't roll first and see how much stress you'll take, then decide whether or not to resist.

@TODO add table p29

Armor

If you have a type of armor that applies to the situation, you can mark an armor box to reduce or avoid a consequence, instead of rolling to resist.

Silas is taking level 2 harm, "Cut to the Ribs," and the fight isn't even over yet, so Ian decides to use Silas's armor to reduce the harm. He marks the armor box and the harm becomes level 1, "Bruised." If Silas was wearing heavy armor, he could mark a second armor box and reduce the harm again, to zero.

When an armor box is marked, it can't be used again until it's restored. All of your armor is restored when you choose your load for the next score.

Each attribute resists a different type of danger. If you get stabbed, for example, you resist physical harm with your Prowess rating. Resistance rolls always succeed—you diminish or deflect the bad result—but the better your roll, the less stress it costs to reduce or avoid the danger.

When the enemy has a big advantage, you'll need to make a resistance roll before you can take your own action. For example, when you duel the master sword-fighter, she disarms you before you can strike. You need to make a resistance roll to keep hold of your blade if you want to attack her. Or perhaps you face a powerful ghost and attempt to Attune with it to control its actions. But before you can make your own roll, you must resist possession from the spirit.

The GM judges the threat level of the enemies and uses these "preemptive" resistance rolls as needed to reflect the capabilities of especially dangerous foes.

@TODO Add table from page 9.

But Buying Attune Makes No Sense for My Character

You might notice that the min/maxing a resist attribute, like Resolve, would require a purchase of one pip in Actions that you might want to avoid. (It might make no narrative sense to ever touch that Action, or it might just be an area the PC should be weak in.)

Just don't buy the Action. There are Special Abilities that modify Resist Rolls; find one or work one out with the GM.

Fortune Roll

The fortune roll is a tool the GM can use to disclaim decision making. You use a fortune roll in two different ways:

When you need to make a determination about a situation the PCs aren't directly involved in and don't want to simply decide the outcome.

Two rival gangs are fighting. How does that turn out? The GM makes a fortune roll for each of them. One gets a good result but the other gets limited effect. The GM decides that the first gang takes over some of their rivals' turf but suffer some injuries during the skirmish.

When an outcome is uncertain, but no other roll applies to the situation at hand.

While pilfering the workshop of an alchemist, Cross is possessed by a vengeful ghost. As control of his body slips away, Cross grabs a random potion bottle and drinks it down. Will the arcane concoction have an effect on the spirit? Will it poison Nock to death? Who knows? The GM makes a fortune roll to see how it turns out.

When you make a fortune roll you may assess any trait rating to determine the dice pool of the roll.

• When a faction takes an action with uncertain outcome, you might use their Tier rating to make a fortune roll.
• When a gang operates independently, use their quality rating for a fortune roll.
• When a supernatural power manifests with uncertain results, you might use its magnitude for a fortune roll.
• When a PC gathers information, you might make a fortune roll using their action rating to determine the amount of the info they get.

If no trait applies, roll 1d for sheer luck or create a dice pool (from one to four) based on the situation at hand. If two parties are directly opposed, make a fortune roll for each side to see how they do, then assess the outcome of the situation by comparing their performance levels.

The fortune roll is also a good tool to help the GM manage all the various moving parts of the world. Sometimes a quick roll is enough to answer a question or inspire an idea for what might happen next.

Other examples of fortune rolls:

• The PCs instigate a war between two factions, then sit back and watch the fireworks. How does it turn out? Does either side dominate? Are they both made vulnerable by the conflict? Make a few fortune rolls to find out.
• A strange sickness is sweeping the city. How badly is a crime ridden district hit by the outbreak? The GM assigns a magnitude to the arcane plague, and makes a fortune roll to judge the extent of its contamination.
• The Hound stakes out a good spot and makes a sniper shot against a gang leader when he enters his office. The controlled Hunt roll is a success, but is great effect enough to instantly kill a grizzled gang leader? Instead of making a progress clock for his mortality, the GM decides to use a simple fortune roll with his "toughness" as a trait to see if he can possibly survive the attack. The roll is a 4/5: the bullet misses his heart, but hits him in the lung—it's a mortal wound. He's on death's door, with only hours to live, unless his gang can get an expert physicker to him in time.
• Inspectors are putting a case together against the PC crew. How quickly will their evidence result in arrests? The crew's wanted level counts as a major advantage for the inspectors.
• The PCs face off in a skirmish with a veteran demon hunter captain and her crew. The tide of battle goes in the PCs' favor, and many crew members are killed. One of the players asks if the captain will surrender to spare the rest of her crew's lives. The GM isn't sure. How cold-hearted is this veteran hunter? She's stared giant demons in the eye without flinching... is there anything human left inside her? The GM makes a 2d fortune roll for "human feelings" to see if a spark of compassion remains in heart. If so, maybe one of the PCs can roll to Consort, Sway, or Command her to stand down.

@TODO table p31

Teamwork

Teamwork

When the team of PCs works together, the characters have access to four special teamwork maneuvers. They're listed at the bottom of the character playbook sheets to help remind the players of them. The four maneuvers are:

• Assist another PC who's rolling an action.
• Lead a group action.
• Protect a teammate.
• Set up a character who will follow through on your action.

Assist

When you assist another player who's rolling, describe what your character does to help. Take 1 stress and give them +1d to their roll. You might also suffer any consequences that occur because of the roll, depending on the circumstances. Only one character may assist a given roll._ If you really want to help and someone else is already assisting, consider performing a setup maneuver instead._

A character may assist a group action, but only if they aren't taking part in it directly. You decide which character in the group action gets the bonus die.

Lead a group action

When you lead a group action, you coordinate multiple members of the team to tackle a problem together. Describe how your character leads the team in a coordinated effort. Do you bark orders, give subtle hand signals, or provide charismatic inspiration?

Each PC who's involved makes an action roll (using the same action) and the team counts the single best result as the overall effort for everyone who rolled. However, the character leading the group action takes 1 stress for each PC that rolled 1-3 as their best result.

This is how you do the "we all sneak into the building" scene. Everyone who wants to sneak in rolls their Prowl action, and the best result counts for the whole team. The leader suffers stress for everyone who does poorly. It's tough covering for the stragglers.

The group action result covers everyone who rolled. If you don't roll, your character doesn't get the effects of the action.

Your character doesn't have to be especially skilled at the action at hand in order to lead a group action. This maneuver is about leadership, not necessarily about ability. You can also lead your crew's cohorts with a group action. Roll Command if you direct their efforts, or roll the appropriate action rating if you participate alongside them. The cohort rolls its quality level.

Protect

You step in to face a consequence that one of your teammates would otherwise face. You suffer it instead of them. You may roll to resist it as normal. Describe how you intervene.

This is how you do the "I'll dive in front of the bullet" You cover for a teammate, suffering any harm or consequences that still linger after you've rolled to resist. It hurts, cost stress, and may leave you in a bad spot. But hey, you're a hero.

Set up

When you perform a setup action, you have an indirect effect on an obstacle. If your action has its intended result, any member of the team who follows through on your maneuver gets +1 effect level or improved position for their roll. You choose the benefit, based on the nature of your setup action.

This is how you do the "I'll create a distraction" scene. You roll Sway to distract a constable with your charms, then any teammate who follows through with a Prowl action to sneak past him can get improved position. It's less risky since you're drawing the guard's attention.

This is a good way to contribute to an operation when you don't have a good rating in the action at hand. A clever setup action lets you help the team indirectly. Multiple follow-up actions may take advantage of your setup (including someone leading a group action) as long as it makes sense in the fiction.

Since a setup action can increase the effect of follow-up actions, it's also useful when the team is facing tough opposition that has advantages in quality, scale, and/or potency. Even if the PCs are reduced to zero effect due to disadvantages in a situation, the setup action provides a bonus that allows for limited effect.

The PCs are facing a heavily armored carriage that's immune to their weapons. Aldo uses Wreck as a setup action to pry some of the armor loose with his crowbar, giving follow up actions +1 effect—going from zero to limited effect.

Do We Have to Use Teamwork?

Teamwork maneuvers are options, not requirements. Each character can still perform solo actions as normal during an operation. If your character can't communicate or somehow coordinate with the rest of the team, you can't use or benefit from any teamwork maneuvers.