Skill Values are determined from character Quality Level (usually ranged 1 to 13), Affinity in that field (Physical, Mental, Social and Academic affinities exist and can be negative or positive, such as -4 or +4), specific training of that character in that skill (having that skill as minor training, major training, or no specific training), possible training investment from player, random rolls and other factors. Skill Values for characters had a range that could be compared to a value from 20 to 100, though there are many variations to that. Skill Values in a field a character was trained into was in 30-55 range (for Common or Rare Characters), or 40-90 range (for Rare characters or Epic characters) or 60-120 range (for Epic and Legendary characters). They were previously compared to a difficulty (normal difficulty was at 50) and then rolled with a percetange determined by how above the difficulty the skill value was. This system has more clarity with the new Dice Pool conversion.Dice Pool System
In its latest version, EXODE uses a new Dice Pool system to test skills and team values.
Several Dice Pools
Characters, teams, colonies, starships can all have Dice Pools in as many fields as they have attributes to test.
A Team for instance has a separate Dice Pool for: Team Speed, Team Stealth, Team Defense and many other aspects.
Dice Pool
A Dice Pool can be converted from any value but is usually converted from a Skill Value.
Dice pool is usually represented in a number of six-sided dice and optionally an extra die of variable range.
Converted from Skill Value
EXODE previously used Skill Values. 1)
Skill Values are converted into a Dice Pool with the following formula:
First a number of six-sided dice: with 1 dice every 20 points. This can up to 4 dice at 80 Skill Value.
Then, and only for Characters above 80 Skill Value, an extra die: the extra die is d6 for 100 points, d8 for 120 points, d10 for 140 points, d12 for 160 points, and d20 for 180 or more points.
If the character has less than 20 Skill Value, then he/she will only receive 1d4 as extra die and no d6.
Example: a character with 120 Skill Value will have 4d6 and in addition one d8 as extra die. A character with 40 Skill Value will have 2d6.
Difficulty
The Difficulty is expressed as a value usually between 2 to 6, and more often at 3 or 4.
It is expressed with a positive sign (such as 3+ or 4+).
Testing against Difficulty
In the usual situation of dice roll tests, dice are not used as a sum but as individual values.
Testing against a Difficulty means rolling your entire dice pool and trying to match that difficulty.
If you roll against a Difficulty of 3+ and have 3d6 in your Dice Pool, you roll all three dice and score one success for every die that has at least 3 in its individual result.
The extra die, if you have any, is also tested this way. It can add more successes or help to reach very high difficulties.
The test is always successful if you have at least one success, but in case of more successes it will mention the consequence of it.
Difficulty above 6
In the very rare situations where because of modifications a difficulty becomes above 6 then a pair of 6s is automatically converted into an automatic success.
It is thus not possible to succeed at a difficulty above 6 if you have only one die (20 Skill Value).
Testing as total score
In some rare cases, the dice pool is directly used as a total score. In that case all dice are rolled and we make the sum of their individual values. The result will the the total score.
When tested as a total score, there is no success or failure, unless the total score itself is then tested as such.
Resilience
Resilience is a rule which is optionally used by a test. All Dice Pools also express a Resilience.
Every 10 points in Skill Value gives 1 point in Resilience.
That is sometimes used as a way to see how many times that attribute was tested, and represent some aspect of “Fatigue” that affects this value.
Resilience has a base which is its starting value, and can be drained, and then restored, or even exceed its maximum in rare situations.
Usually an Away Team will drain its Resilience when it tests that attribute. A fatigued score in resilience can result in increased difficulty for that roll. 2)
Resilience drain only happens when a test is mentioned with a (-) notation, and Resilience is then drained for one point by - mentioned in that notation.
Resilience is usually not drained in tests that do not mention this notation.
Resilience can usually be recovered once a team, character or asset is back at at colony and no longer tests this specific attribute, with one point recovered per day of rest in the Colony.
Resting?
The Resilience mechanic implies that an Away Team has an interest in resting before going back to a new mission. This refines the production and exploitation mechanic.
A player could use an alternate Away Team, or disband that team (losing its team experience) and set up another.
Characters too have their Stamina which they should recover, and with time we will also develop a Resilience impact on their individual skills.
Note: conversion values and balance of dice rolls can be adjusted later.
1)
2)
Whenever a dice Pool is tested, this can also “drain” 1 point in Resilience (usually whenever there is a (-) notation). If Resilience is already at zero before being drained, then the element tested is considered Fatigued and the roll is made with +2 in its difficulty.