THE DICE ROLL

Any action a player or the Wayfinder wishes to make is determined by the roll of a six-sided die (d6). Each character is assigned a numerical Trait Score, which determines the number of dice they can roll when attempting to overcome an obstacle. This number cannot exceed 10 for any Trait.

To succeed, at least one die must show a 6. Conversely, any roll that does not show at least one 6 counts as a failure. For example, if a Wayfinder asks a player to roll their Awareness Dice, and their character has an Awareness Score of 5, they may roll five dice. If at least one of those five dice shows a face value of 6, they will succeed.

To roll the dice, players must describe how they plan to overcome an obstacle and what they hope to accomplish. The Wayfinder may ask for clarification if a player's plan is unclear, or may ask them to change their approach if what they are trying to do is impossible. 

The player's action will fail if the player does not roll any successes. Upon failure, it is up to the Wayfinder to decide exactly what happens.

Nearly every required roll will be made with a d6, with specific Paths relying upon either a d4, d6, or d8. While they are included in a standard set of dice, the d10, d12, and d20 are not used by this system and can be ignored.

Overexertion

If a player fails a roll, they can choose to Overexert and immediately try again. When Overexerting, a character loses one die from the Score of the Trait they are rolling (until the start of the next session), and may then re-roll all the dice from their failed attempt.

For each Overexertion after the first, the player loses an increasing number of dice from the relevant Trait Score, equal to the total number of Overexertions (two for the second, three for the third, and so on). They will also acquire the Tired Tribulation.

Wayfinder: You come across a sheer cliff that blocks the way forward. You will need to climb this cliff to continue on your journey. Each of you must roll to see if you can successfully climb the cliff.

(Teddie rolls his dice and gets a 2, 3, and 5.)

Wayfinder: You try to climb the cliff, but slip and fall back down. You will take 1 point of damage from the fall.

(Teddie decides to use Overexertion to try the failed roll again. He gets a 6, 3, and 6, but loses one die from his Might total until the start of the next session.)

Wayfinder: You use all your strength to climb the cliff and reach the top without any issues.

Player Vs. Player

When two or more players come into conflict, they must roll their dice for Opposing Traits (e.g., Might vs. Swiftness, Charm vs. Awareness). The player with the most successes gets to describe what happens.

Overexertion may be used on these rolls. If both players still have an equal number of successes after using Overexertion, their efforts will be considered a Draw. In the event of a Draw, it is left up to the Wayfinder to describe how the scene or altercation plays out. 

Below are some examples of Opposing Traits:

Trait Opposing Traits
Awareness Charm/ Cunning
Charm Awareness/ Magic
Cunning Awareness/ Magic
Endurance Magic/ Might/ Swiftness
Magic Endurance/ Magic/ Swiftness
Might Endurance/ Magic/ Swiftness
Sage Charm/ Magic
Survival Charm/ Magic
Swiftness Cunning/ Magic/ Might

Optional Rule: Bonds & Nemeses

Players can develop unique connections with both allies and enemies. A player can choose another player or NPC with whom they’ve formed a special connection, and mark them as their Bond. This connection allows a player to take a single action (outside of the order set by Combat Flow) to aid or defend their chosen Bond.

This action can only be used once per session, and each player can only have one Bond. 

In contrast, a Nemesis connection gives players an additional 2 dice to any roll made against a chosen adversary. This bonus will last for the duration of any sequence in which their selected foe is present. The Wayfinder may apply this rule to a specific enemy type or overarching villain.

It should be noted that dice gained from a Nemesis connection cannot be wagered in Overexertion.