Rolling Dice
In Obscured, your Hunters face a world of uncertainties. When the outcome of an action is in doubt, it's time to test your luck. The Overseer will ask for a roll. Most rolls have a difficulty threshold that determines the likelihood of success. A roll that equals or surpasses its threshold succeeds, while one that falls below fails.
Proactive Rolls
Proactive rolls are triggered when your Hunter decides to take initiative. Suppose you're probing a crime scene; you might make a roll using your Intellect to unearth hidden clues or your Strength to pry open a sturdy lockbox.
Reactive Rolls
Reactive rolls come into play when circumstances compel your Hunter to react swiftly. If the floor suddenly gives way, a quick Dexterity roll will determine whether your Hunter manages to jump to safety.
Opposed Rolls
When your Hunter is up against active resistance, it calls for an opposed roll. This could be when trying to deceive a security guard or grappling with an adversary. Instead of having a fixed difficulty threshold, opposed rolls involve a counter-check by the opponent, with the higher roll emerging successful. The "type" of counter-check might mirror the original, but the Overseer has the final say on what suits the situation best.
Advantage & Disadvantage
At times, your Hunter might be in a favorable situation or exceptionally prepared, resulting in an increased chance of success. In such cases, the Overseer may grant an advantage, allowing you to roll the twice and take the higher result. Conversely, failure might be more likely in some scenarios. The Overseer will declare a disadvantage, meaning you roll the twice and take the lower result.
Critical Success
Dice rolls capture the unpredictable nature of success and failure, but every so often, the odds swing in your favor. These fortunate rolls are known as a critical success or a 'crit'. A crit occurs when both dice land on the highest possible value (0 on the dice) during an outcome roll. It's crucial to note that crits are possible for Hunters, Horrors, and NPCs alike.
A crit signifies the optimum outcome for a situation. While the Overseer determines what 'optimum' means outside combat, within combat, a crit amplifies the damage of an attack. If an attack roll crits, the number of damage dice doubles, although other additions or modifiers remain unchanged. However, remember that a critical success doesn't assure a hit or success of a check.
An Overseer should never request a roll if there's no chance of success. A player can opt to attempt an impossible action, but without a roll, as even a crit can't turn the tide.
John: "I want to take a shot at the monstrous blob with my pistol."
Overseer: "Alright, make an attack roll."
John: "I rolled two tens, plus my core modifier of 3. It's a crit!"
Overseer: "Excellent, you hit. Your damage dice double for this attack."
John: "Dude! That means I get to roll four D6s instead of just two. That's a like a doubledecker!"
David: "Ha."