4. EDUCACIÓN
4.3. Dificultades y medidas que facilitan estudiar en el nivel superior
A Skill check is similar to an Ability check, except it is used when the task is one that the GM decides would be governed by both a particular ability and a particular Skill. For example, if a task required general intellectual ability (such as remembering the name of a person the character had met), an Intelligence check would be made. Determining the origin of a rare alien species would also require an Intelligence check, but this task is governed by the Knowledge: Biological Sciences Skill (more specifically, the Xenobiology Specialisation, if Specialisation optional rule is used). In game terminology, this task would require a “Intelligence-based Knowledge: Biological Sciences (Xenobiology) Skill check.”
The DC of a Skill check is determined by the difficulty of the task (see left column). If the character possesses the appropriate Skill (even without the exact Specialisation), he or she receives a bonus to the check. This bonus is equal to the character’s Skill Rank (if the task does not fall under his or her Specialisation) or one more than the character’s Skill Rank (if his or her Specialisation does apply). A successful Skill check involves the player rolling equal to or greater than the DC.
The GM is responsible for deciding which Ability Score, Skill, and specialisation are relevant to a particular task, using the Ability Score and Skill descriptions given in Chapter 7: Skills. Since these questions can often be tricky, the GM should listen to the player’s reasoning why a particular Skill or Specialisation might apply. The final decision belongs to the GM, however.
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OMBININGS
KILLC
HECKSWhen more than one character tries the same Skill at the same time towards the same goal, their efforts may overlap — they can work together and help each other out. In this case, one character is considered the leader of the effort and makes a Skill check against the assigned DC, while each helper makes a Skill check against DC 10 (the character can’t take 10 on this check). For each helper who succeeds, the leader gets a +2 circumstance bonus to his or her Skill check. In many cases, a character’s help won’t be beneficial, or only a limited number of characters can help at once. The GM limits co-operation as she sees fit for the given conditions.
S
KILLS
YNERGYIt is possible for a character to have two Skills that work well together, such as Investigate and Knowledge: Streetwise, or Computer The check is unsuccessful if the value is less than the DC. The
greater the difference between the value and the DC, the greater the degree of success or failure (see Table 12-1: Degrees of Success).
T
ASKD
IFFICULTYC
LASSESThe Difficulty Class (DC) is a number set by the GM that reflects how easy or challenging any given task is to complete. Providing a list of sample DCs is pointless because the DC of each task changes based on the situations involved. Walking across a tightrope may be a DC 15 task one time but may be a DC 12 task the next time (the GM decides the rope is thicker or more stable this time) or the DC may be 22 (a thinner rope with a stiff and erratic cross-breeze). The GM must take all variables into account when assigning a DC to a task and should endeavour to remain as consistent in selecting the DC of a task as possible. If the GM decides a “difficult” task has a DC of 20, then all “difficult” tasks should have a DC of 20. GMs should use Table 12-2: Difficulty Classes as a rough guideline when determining the DC of a task.
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RITICALS
UCCESS ORF
AILURERegardless of the actual DC, an unmodified or “natural” roll of 20 always succeeds (it is considered at least a “marginal success”), and an unmodified roll of 1 always fails (it is considered at least a “marginal failure”). This rule is important because it reflects the extreme possibilities that even the most talented characters sometimes fail in their tasks, while even the most awkward characters can succeed.
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ONTESTEDA
CTIONSIf two or more characters are working directly or indirectly against each other (such as two people pulling on a contested object), each character must make a check. The character with the greatest degree of success (or least degree of failure if both characters fail) is considered to have the advantage over the contested action. In the event of a tie, the characters are locked in contest and may re-roll next round.
R
ETRIESOften, a character can try a Skill check again if he or she fails, and can keep trying indefinitely. Some actions have consequences to failure that must be taken into account, however, as determined by the situation and GM.
In some instances, the GM shouldn’t even bother to make the player roll dice (see Should I Make My Players Roll Dice?, page 111) and instead allow the player to Take 10 or Take 20.
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ABLE12-1: D
EGREES OFS
UCCESSRoll is less than the DC by 16+ Overwhelming Failure Roll is less than the DC by 11 to 15 Extreme Failure Roll is less than the DC by 7 to 10 Major Failure Roll is less than the DC by 4 to 6 Minor Failure Roll is less than the DC by 1 to 3 Marginal Failure Roll is equal to or 1 greater than the DC Marginal Success Roll is greater than the DC by 2 or 3 Minor Success Roll is greater than the DC by 4 to 6 Major Success Roll is greater than the DC by 7 to 10 Extreme Success Roll is greater than the DC by 11+ Overwhelming Success
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ABLE12-2: D
IFFICULTYC
LASSESDC TASKDIFFICULTY
3 Practically Guaranteed (why roll dice?) 5 Extremely Easy
7 Easy
10 Average Difficulty 15 Above Average Difficulty
20 Difficult — success above this DC is possible only under favourable conditions (when a situational bonus is applied) or by talented characters (who have a Skill Rank and/or Ability bonus) 25 Quite Difficult
30 Extremely Difficult 35 Supremely Difficult 40 Practically Impossible
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be negated by an opponent’s defence (the defender does not even have the opportunity to make a defence check).
See Combat (see below) for more information on physical conflict.
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OMBATS
KILLSUnlike most other d20 System games, BESM d20 uses combat Skills in addition to combat Feats. Offensive combat Skills are treated exactly like Skills for any other action — they serve as a bonus to a character’s dice roll. Defensive combat Skills are applied to the character’s defence roll when defending in an appropriate situation.
For example, a character with Defence Combat Mastery at Rank 2, a Dexterity of 11, and Melee Defence (Sword) at Rank 3 is wielding a sword and attacked by an opponent in melee combat. His Armour Class is normally 2 (+0 Dex modifier and +2 from the Defence Combat Mastery). When defending with his sword, he gains a +4 bonus to his defence roll (+3 for the Melee Defence Skill Rank, and +1 for the Sword Specialisation), but only against melee or unarmed attacks. If another character attacks him with a gun, thus initiating a ranged combat attack, he makes a defence roll without a bonus since he does not have the Ranged Defence Skill.