Fun:Sums -> Fixing the WotA dice rolling ratio.

So yesterday I was talking about the problems of the ratio[1]. Rolling 2d6 Rhythm and 3d6 Intensity? Counting up the pips on the Rhythm? Combining the total for Duration?? Yuuurgh. What was I thinking?

It’s all been fixed, thanks to a little probability and the clattering of handfuls of cubes. Rhythm will be measured with d4s. Yellow ones.

Here’s the new dice system (forget the narrative for now):

1. Choose an appropriate attribute for the roll. (E.g. Art of Fighting 8)
2. Split the Rhythm (d4s) and Intensity pools (d6s). (E.g. 3 Rhythm and 5 Intensity means 3d4 and 5d6)
3. Opponent can Evade, modifying your pool. (E.g. Pool modified to 2 Rhythm and 6 Intensity)
4. Roll.
5. If any Rhythm die scores a 4, it’s a success. (E.g. The Rhythm dice score a 2 and a 4, a success)
6. On a success, each Intensity die reading 4-6 scores 2, and all the rest score 1. That measures the Intensity. (E.g. The Intensity dice score 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 6. That’s an Intensity of 9)
7. Whether or not it was a success, count the number of dice that score 3 or less from both pools. This indicates the AP cost, or Duration. (E.g. The pool result is 2 and 6 for Rhythm and 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 6 for Intensity. Therefore the pool contains a total of four dice that show a three or less (2, 2, 3, 3), so the total Duration is 4)

Why does this work? There is a linear probability for scaling the d4 roll. In other words, when I increase the size of the pool of d4s, there is no steep acceleration in the likelihood of achieving a success. The odds for success rise predictably, and evenly, as dice are added to the pool.

Furthermore, the Intensity dice scenario encourages a damage output comparable to the AP cost.

Also, the 1-3 as measurement of Duration engineers a scenario where successful, powerful actions cost less than unsuccessful weak ones.

Lastly, the contrasting shape of the dice feels cool in your fingers. There’s a texture to it that is visual and persistent, giving highly accurate, often successful actions a very pointy feel, and not so accurate, powerful actions a duller, flatter texture.

In summary, the size of the dice pool is determined by ability, the size of the subsets of that pool represent accuracy and intensity, and the roll results within those subsets determine duration. These don’t affect narration yet.

There’s more to think on that subject yet.

I’m worried about the ratio. Assuming that a standard character has a low number of APs, each player will get a limited number of actions per turn but a single successful action will K.O. them.