When faced with a task that requires adjudication, a Character has access to a number of six-sided dice (d6) equal to their class level. This represents their overall capability in the world. Help and other positive factors add dice to their dice pool (see DAD6 for the particulars).
Measuring character competence
How well they can attempt task will dependent upon their particular ability with the skill at hand. There are four levels of competence:
- Unfamiliar
- The skill is completely outside the Character’s experience, their final dice pool is halved before the dice are rolled.
- Familiar
- the Character has some basic understanding, knowledge, or experience; they are neither penalized nor advantaged in the task.
- Trained
- the Character has training and experience in this skill; a Trained Character adds a +1 to each die that they roll; a Character is assumed to be Trained in their class skills.
- Expert
- the Character is extremely capable in the skill; an Expert Character adds a +2 to each die that they roll; a Character is assumed to become an Expert in their class skills when they reach fourth level.
- Master
- the Character has mastered the skill; a Master Character adds +3 to each die that they roll; a Character s assumed to become a Master in their class skills when they reach eighth level.
Competence adds bonuses to die rolls
When a Character attempts a task in a skill, they build up their dice pool, roll the dice, and count any that (after modifiers) result in sixes. These are called boons. Most simple tasks require only a single boon to succeed though others may require more (see DAD6, “Increasing challenge difficulty”).
Assessing challenge difficulty
Most tasks are considered mundane; this is, while anyone with ability in an associated skill will benefit from it, no ability is absolutely required. Some tasks, however, do require experience or training in a skill to have any chance of success. These tasks attach a negative modifiers to each die rolled.
We can therefore categorize tasks into three levels:
- Mundane
- no negative modifier;
- Specialized
- -1 modifier to each die rolled, and;
- Expert
- -2 modifier to each die rolled.