Saves
A Save is a standardized 2d6 dice roll made to determine the effect of actions whose outcome is both uncertain & meaningful.
When figuring if a Save is required, consider if any applicable Facts make the task trivial or impossible. If so, the Save may be either unnecessary or pointless.
Procedure: Performing a Save
- The Party and/or the GM adds every distinct numeric bonus & penalty that applies to the Save together. The result is called the Modifier (or Mod for short). Unless explicitly stated otherwise, this includes a ±1 bonus/penalty for each distinct Fact that would serve as a bonus (+1) or a penalty (−1) to the action the Save represents.
- The specified participant making the Save (usually a Player) rolls 2d6 to get the Roll. A Roll of 12 (boxcars) on the dice is always a Crit; a Roll of 2 (snake-eyes) is always a Fumble. If neither is scored, add the Mod to the Roll & then compare to the adjacent table to get the Result.
The general results for a Save are displayed on the adjacent table. If a GM finds the need for an ad-hoc Save, this table can be used to determine how the results should be shaped.
| Result | Ad-Hoc Save Effect |
|---|---|
| Crit ≥12 | Perfect/dramatic triumph |
| Pass 8–11 | Success |
| Seven 7 | Mixed outcome with side-effects |
| Failure 3–6 | Failure and/or consequences |
| Fumble ≤2 | Severe or catastrophic failure |
Most of the time, when the game rules call for a Save, a table of effects unique to that mechanic will also be provided.
Sevens & Learning New Facts
If you roll a Seven while having taken at least one invocation of your own existing Facts as a −1 penalty to your save, you may write up a new Fact for your character to gain based on what they learned from the action they just took, provided that at least half of the other Players (counting the GM as one Player) have no objections to the Fact’s plausibility as an outcome of the event(s).
Binary Saves
Sometimes, a mechanic will call for a Save as a simple yes/no check, usually to see if something happens on a failure. If this occurs, a Crit, Pass, or Seven is treated as a success, while a Failure or Fumble is a failure, with modifiers from any relevant Facts as is usual. The GM may treat a Crit as twice as good a result or a Fumble as twice as bad if the situation allows for it.
If asked to Save vs. falling off your horse, you make a straight Save (perhaps with a +1 for a Steady Hands Fact if you are so fortunate as to have something to that effect). The success is binary; either you fall, or not.