2 | Skill Checks

Heroes in ARC move the story forward by interacting with the world around them. However, actions often have an element of uncertainty…even peril.

Player, whenever you attempt a risky action with a chance for an interesting success or failure you may be asked to make a Skill Check, declaring a Skill and Approach based on the intended outcome.

You must narrate how the Approach applies to the Skill. For example, “I try to deduce secret art motifs from the markings on the altar” is ideal; “I observe creatively” is not.

※ Example: Using Skills and Approaches together

Sneaking past a troll? What do you do? Creative+Tinker to jury-rig clockwork distractions? Careful+Coordination to move past with quiet, stealthy movement? Concerted+Culture to recall trolls have poor eyesight? Either of these can work, based on how your hero tackles the problem!

	Creative	Careful	Concerted
Knowledge Skills	Theorize, shift, think laterally	Assess, inquire, analyze	Recall, restore, overwrite
Social Skills	Charm, incite, inspire	Reason, detail, guide	Intimidate, enforce, invade
Physical Skills	Bedazzle, innovate, exceed expectations	Optimize, safeguard, follow best practice	Charge, endure, overwhelm
Pragmatic Skills	Invent, adapt, experiment	Soothe, refine, survey	Rush, withstand, brute force
Prowess Skills	Explore, expand, create	Sense, attune, investigate	Memorize, remember, commit

The sum of your Skill Ranks and Approach Score determines the Threshold Number (TN). A higher TN is better and reflects how achievable the task is for your hero. Going over the threshold is bad—and means you’re way in over your head.

Difficulty Modifier #

Before you roll, the TN may be modified by the Guide reflecting the difficulty or favorability of your action and current circumstances.

• +1 to TN [EASY] You have good tools or ample preparations; the target has poor resistance; or the circumstances favor the action.
  • —Lying to an admirer.
  • —Picking a lock with no time pressure.
  • —Noticing a shady person.

• +0 to TN [DIFFICULT] The large majority of tasks.
  • —Recalling obscure academic text.
  • —Hitting an unarmored target.
  • —Foraging for berries in the woods.

• –1 to TN [VERY DIFFICULT] You have inadequate or incorrect tools, or poor preparations; target has effective defenses; or the action is high-risk in an unforgiving environment.
  • —Escaping the shadow guards.
  • —Improvising artwork with popsicle sticks for the artsnob prince.
  • —Reverse-engineering a complex trap under intense time pressure.

• –2 to TN [STAGGERINGLY DIFFICULT] The situation is even worse: current conditions actively hinder the task; the target has resistances specifically against this type of action; or it’s completely mismatched against the circumstances.
  • —Convincing the grand inquisitor to release high-profile prisoners.
  • —Sneaking unprepared through the heavily fortified guard’s barracks.

• –3 to TN [IMPOSSIBLY DIFFICULT] Well… you can certainly try.
  • —Asking a dragon out on a date.

The knight felt her knees give way. She sank to the ground and stared at the empty sky. With her right hand on her lance and her left hand with his bloodied shroud, she made a promise. “I will finish our quest,” she said, voice seeping grit. “Even through impossible odds. Even without you by my side.”

Assistance #

Before the roll is made, one other player may declare if they’d like to assist in the Skill Check. The assisting hero must have a relevant, helpful Skill in this situation. If the assisting hero does not have an applicable Skill they cannot assist. Only one ally can assist at a time.

If the roll is a success, the target’s Skill Check’s TN then increases by the major levels of Bond the assisting hero has with them.

Alternatively, any ally may sacrifice any minor levels of Bond to allow an immediate reroll. Regardless of outcome, the assisting player narrates how their hero is helping.

In summary, the TN is equal to the sum of:

1. The hero’s ranks in the relevant Skill
2. Their chosen Approach Score
3. A Difficulty Modifier set by the Guide
4. The major levels of Bond with an assisting hero

Roll and Outcome #

Player, once the TN is known roll 1d6 to determine outcome.

• If the roll is under the TN it’s a pure success—you succeed with no consequence.
  • Flawless success. If you rolled a 1 in a Skill with at least one Rank, roll another 1d6. If it is also a 1 your result is flawless and becomes a success with opportunity.
    
• If the roll is equal to the TN choose between the two:
  • You succeed with a consequence complicating the hero and their allies’ situation, including:
    • Delay or inefficiency, such as taking so long that the guards are rounding the corner.
    • Permanent or temporary loss of resource, for example, having a weapon stuck in an enemy’s armor.
    • Discord and misunderstanding, like a besmirched reputation with a merchant.
    • Overkill, such as harming an innocent onlooker due to spillover effects.
    • ???? unknown, to be revealed later.
      
  • You fail but are presented with an opportunity improving the hero and their allies’ situation, including:
    • Risk reduction, such as deescalating tension in the negotiations.
    • Risk redirection, like putting someone else on the spot.
    • Gaining trust or respect, for example, impressing the elven queen.
    • New knowledge, such as a secret weakness of the enemy manananggal.
    • ???? unknown, to be revealed later.
      
      The Guide makes the call, but you can suggest an appropriate choice.

• If the roll exceeds the TN the action fails. Depending on the stakes at hand, the Guide may also introduce a complication as a result.

Upgrading the outcome #

You may sacrifice 3 Blood OR 3 Guts, whichever is situationally appropriate, to upgrade a non-successful Skill Check. The following upgrades may occur:

• A tied roll is upgraded to a pure success.
• A failed roll may be upgraded to a success with consequence or a failure with opportunity.

※ Note: you can rest to recover your Blood & Guts. See Life, Death and Naps to learn more.

Acting as a group #

If the heroes wish to tackle a task as a group (for example, scouring the unknown woods for supplies) the Guide can ask everyone to make individual Skill Checks. Different approaches and skills may be used so long as they are relevant. If more than half of players succeed, the task is an overall success. However, each failed Check may incur unusual complications.

Sample Scene #

Use the navigation to scroll through the scene’s events.