0% found this document useful (0 votes)
134 views3 pages

One Roll Engine Explained

The document provides an overview of the mechanics for the roleplaying game GODLIKE. It explains that actions are resolved by rolling dice and looking for matching numbers. The number of dice rolled depends on relevant stats and skills. Matching dice represent success, with higher and more frequent matches indicating better outcomes. It also describes how to determine damage and hit locations from roll results, and how to attempt multiple actions or aim for specific body parts.

Uploaded by

DDTWilson
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
134 views3 pages

One Roll Engine Explained

The document provides an overview of the mechanics for the roleplaying game GODLIKE. It explains that actions are resolved by rolling dice and looking for matching numbers. The number of dice rolled depends on relevant stats and skills. Matching dice represent success, with higher and more frequent matches indicating better outcomes. It also describes how to determine damage and hit locations from roll results, and how to attempt multiple actions or aim for specific body parts.

Uploaded by

DDTWilson
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Rolling the Dice
  • Introduction to GOALr
  • Handling Multiple Actions
  • Aim and Damage

A One Roll Engine Tutorial

Source: [Link] By Shane Ivey Posted on April 25, 2011 Posted in: Godlike, Monsters and Other Childish Things, ORE, Wild Talents We are, all of us, living in a new age, clearly deliniated from the old by the sudden reality of the impossible. Dr. Daniel L. Talbot, 23 June 1936. The Basics In GODLIKE, the success or failure of an action is determined by throwing a number of 10-sided dice and looking for matches among them. The number of dice thrown is determined by adding together the values of a stat (a score which measures innate ability) and a skill (a score which measures learned ability). Lets say you have a Body stat of 3 and you have a Brawling skill of 2. This would give you 5 dice (5d) to roll when trying t o hit someone. This is called a dice pool. No dice pool in GODLIKE may be higher than 10 dice. When you roll, no matching numbers means no success, but more matching dice or matches of higher value indicate faster or mor e exceptional success. For example, if you rolled your 5d Body + Brawling dice pool to determine whether you succesfully punched a Nazi spy and got: 5, 1, 3, 4, 2 this would be a failure, since none of the dice values match. But if you rolled: 1, 1, 3, 2, 5 this would be a success, since two of your dice matched (two 1s.) This is the minimum success possible. If you rolled: 10, 9, 4, 10, 10 this would indicate an exceptional success, since the matching dice are of the highest value possible (10) and there are three of them. Height and Width Matching sets have two values which measure their success: Widthand Height. Height is the matches value, while Width is the number of matches in the set. The GODLIKE shorthand for Width and Height is WxH. Height represents the degree of success, while Width represents how fast the action is accomplished in game time. Higher val ues are always better. For example, if you rolled 6 ten-sided dice and got:

5, 1, 5, 2, 5, 10 your roll would have a Height of 5, since you matched 5s, and your Width would be 3, since you matched three 5s. It would be written as 35 (since you rolled three 5s). Who Goes First? Now the interesting question, of the above examples, which would occur first in game time? Since Width determines what happens when, these rolls would play out in this order: 45 (Width of 4 goes first) 310 (Width of 3 goes second) 22 (Width of 2 goes last) Now, while Width indicates when an action occurs, Height represents how successful that action is. Sometimes one is more important than the other. For example, in a foot race, Width would be more important (since the highest Width finishes the race first), while in target shooting Height would be more important (since the highest Height hits more accurately). Multiple Sets and Multiple Actions Astute readers will notice that sometimes its possible to get multiple sets of matches in a single roll. For example: 2, 1, 2, 9, 9, 2 could be said to have two matching sets: 32 and 29. Which do you use? When completeing a normal action, you can choose which one you use, but the other is discarded. So, if you wanted your action to occur faster in game-time, youd pick the 32 (since its Wider,) or if you wanted to complete the task with skill and aplomb, you would choose the 29 (since its Higher.) When you want to try to accomplish two difficult things at once in the game, you determine the dice pools normally, pick the smaller one, discard a die for the difficulty, roll that pool and look for a set to assign to each action. Lets say you want to shoot a gun at an opponent and drive a car at the same time. You have a Coordination + Drive dice pool of 7d and a Coordination + Pistol dice pool of 8d. Since the Coordination + Drive is lower, thats the dice pool you roll, and sinc e youre doing two things at once you drop a die out of that pool, giving you only 6d to roll. If you rolled 3, 3, 1, 2, 10, 9 you could choose to succeed at one, but not both of your actions, since you only got one success. Or, if you rolled 3, 3, 10, 2, 10, 9 you could succeed at both actions, since you could assign 23 to Driving and a 210 to shooting (or, of course, vice versa.) Hit Location, Damage and Aiming

The friendly silhouette below is the hit location table. As you can see, its like a person, with a head, legs, arms and tors o. Simply put, in GODLIKE the Height of an attack roll indicates where the attack hits, while the Width indicates the damage.

So, if I rolled a 35, I would hit the target in the right arm (the 5) for 3 points (the Width of 3.) There are two types of damage: Shock and Killing. If you get hit for a point of Shock damage, drop a slash in the appropriate box. If you get hit for a point of Killing and put an X in the appropriate box. If your head (hit location 10) is filled with Shock damage, your character is unconscious. If your head or torso (hit location 7-9) is filled with Killing damage, the character is dead. Weapons modify the amount and type of damage done. For example, just punching causes Width in Shock damage, while shooting a pistol does Width in Killing and Width in Shock damage. Aiming Want to hit someone in a particular hit location? Simple. Drop a die out of your attacking set, place another die at the appr opriate hit location number, roll the remaining dice and look for matches. Say, for example, you have 7d in Coordination+Rifle and you want to shoot the enemy machine gunner in the head. You place one of your dice at 10 (the hit location of the head), drop a die for difficulty, and roll the remaining 5 dice, hoping to get an other 10 to make a succesful match. If you fail to get another 10, you miss the head-shot. Learn More That, in a nutshell, is the GODLIKE system. Please feel free to download the free quick-play rules for the game here for a much more in-depth examination of the rules.

Common questions

Powered by AI

GODLIKE's combat system differentiates between shock and killing damage, which directly affects players' strategy. Shock damage is temporary and impairs but does not kill, indicated by slashes on the damage track. Killing damage is more severe, marked by an 'X' and poses the risk of death if critical areas are filled, like the head or torso . This differentiation requires players to strategically decide whether to focus on incapacitating opponents through shock or attempting to eliminate them permanently with killing damage, influencing weapon choice and attack targets significantly .

The ability to perform multiple actions in one turn allows players to execute complex tactics, enhancing strategic flexibility in GODLIKE. To achieve this, players assess their dice pools for each action they wish to perform, choose the smallest pool for the roll, and reduce it by one die for difficulty . This system forces players to weigh the potential benefits and risks of dividing their attention. Successful execution depends on achieving multiple sets, allowing simultaneous completion of diverse tasks, such as attacking while moving, thus reflecting a player's capacity to adeptly manage resources and priorities.

In GODLIKE, the Height of an attack roll determines the hit location, while the Width indicates the damage done. For example, a roll of 3x5 would hit the right arm (determined by the Height value of 5) and deal 3 points of damage (determined by the Width). To target specific body parts, players can manipulate their rolls by aiming, which involves placing one die at the desired hit location value before rolling the remaining dice. This strategic choice allows them to focus attacks on critical locations like the head, although it comes at the cost of reducing the dice available to achieve a successful match .

The requirement to reduce the dice pool when performing multiple tasks in GODLIKE compels players to make critical risk-reward assessments during high-pressure scenarios. By choosing to split actions, players must accept a lower chance of success due to the reduced roll potential, making decision-making under time constraints more intense . This rule demands that players carefully evaluate which actions are essential and balance their attempts at simultaneous actions with the realistic probability of achieving success within the decreased pool. Therefore, it introduces significant strategic depth, prioritizing effective resource management and optimal action sequencing.

When a player rolls and gets multiple sets of matches, they typically choose the set that best fits their immediate goal. For instance, if speed is more critical, they choose the set with greater Width. If skill or success level is more vital, they choose the set with greater Height. Players can use both match sets in scenarios where they attempt multiple actions simultaneously. However, they must first determine the smallest dice pool for these actions and then roll a reduced pool after discarding a die for difficulty . Success is defined by assigning different match sets to separate actions, provided the roll results allow it.

The dice pool system in GODLIKE serves as a balancing mechanism by linking character capabilities directly to their attributes and skills. Dice pools are determined by adding a character's stat and skill scores, creating a cap at 10 dice, which standardizes the maximum capability across all characters . This ensures no character can become excessively overpowered, maintaining fair play. Furthermore, the system emphasizes probability and combination, as success is indicated by matches within the roll. This structure encourages character diversification and specialization, requiring strategic allocation of points during character creation to cover various in-game scenarios efficiently.

GODLIKE integrates strategic and narrative gameplay through its dual emphasis on Width and Height. The dice pool system fosters strategic thinking by requiring players to balance speed and success, offering varied outcomes and pathways based on in-game decisions . This mechanic supports storytelling flexibility, as narrative consequences can shift with each roll's outcome, allowing plots to reflect players' tactical decisions. Challenges arise from the complexity of managing multiple simultaneous actions and interpreting match results, demanding high cognitive engagement from players to navigate these layered interactions effectively. This complexity can potentially overwhelm less experienced players but also enriches those seeking depth in gameplay.

Targeting specific hit locations in GODLIKE advances tactical combat depth by allowing players to tailor their attacks based on current game needs. By sacrificing a die to aim specifically, players can focus efforts on critical locations, such as aiming for the head to incapacitate an opponent . This adds a layer of decision-making, prioritizing strategic body areas for targeted damage. However, the potential drawback is reducing the overall dice pool for the attempt, decreasing the likelihood of a successful match and making precise targeting a high-risk, potentially high-reward decision, which may lead to cautious gameplay or missed opportunities in combat scenarios.

GODLIKE's action resolution system, which uses Width and Height to measure speed and success respectively, provides a nuanced framework for role-playing. This configuration allows players to prioritize different aspects of action outcome, dynamically influencing gameplay beyond static success or failure seen in traditional systems. For instance, the choice between acting quickly (Width) or effectively (Height) adds a tactical layer, encouraging deeper interaction with the game's narrative context and character motivations . By allowing players to balance timing and effectiveness, it enables richer storytelling and immersive role-playing experiences unique to its mechanics.

In GODLIKE, Width and Height are two dimensions of measuring the success of an action. Width determines the speed of the action in game time, while Height measures the success's degree. In situations where speed is crucial, such as a foot race, players would prioritize Width, allowing their actions to occur faster. Conversely, when precision is vital, such as in target shooting, Height would be prioritized for more accurate results . This dual metric system allows players to strategically choose their focus based on the scenario's demand, balancing between acting quickly and achieving higher success levels.

A ‘One Roll Engine’ Tutorial 
Source: http://arcdream.com/home/2011/04/a-one-roll-engine-tutorial/  (http://arcdream.com/home
5, 1, 5, 2, 5, 10 
your roll would have a Height of 5, since you matched 5s, and your Width would be 3, since you matched thr
The friendly silhouette below is the hit location table. As you can see, it’s like a person, with a head, legs, arms and tors

You might also like