Chapter 3 of 12 · about 9 minutes
Trait Checks
The one roll that runs the game: 2d12 plus your MOD against a Threshold, with Prowess, Stagger and degrees of failure.
First draft. This guide is a first draft. The rules and the game will keep changing, so expect corrections. Where something is a working guess it is marked Draft.
The roll
When the outcome is uncertain, the Game Master picks the Trait that fits and a Threshold. You roll two twelve-sided dice, add your MOD for that Trait, and add your EXP if you are Adept in it. If your total reaches the Threshold, you succeed.
Example: Sneaking past a guard
Your Sneak is 51, so your MOD is +5. You are not Adept in Sneak. The Game Master sets a Standard Threshold of 15. You roll 2d12 and get 6 and 7, which is 13, plus 5 makes 18. 18 beats 15, so you slip past.
You can click or tap a Trait on your sheet in the online table. The roll goes to the chat with your MOD, EXP and any Prowess or Stagger already added.
Thresholds
| Threshold | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| 5 | Novice |
| 10 | Easy |
| 15 | Standard |
| 20 | Challenging |
| 25 | Tough |
| 30 | Expert |
A Novice task is something most people manage. An Expert task is something only a specialist does reliably. The Game Master picks the Threshold, and a Persona with a high MOD and EXP clears the lower ones almost every time.
Prowess and Stagger
Prowess and Stagger change how many dice you roll. With Prowess you roll an extra d12 and drop the lowest of the three. With Stagger you roll an extra d12 and drop the highest. Both change the dice you roll and not the Threshold.
- Prowess comes from being Adept, from a flanking ally, from an Assist, and from some Abilities and gear.
- Stagger comes from some Effects and Abilities. For example, a Collapsed Persona rolls Motion with Stagger, and Foes attack a fleeing Persona with Stagger.
- One Prowess and one Stagger cancel each other out.
- More than one of either rolls more dice: keep the best two with Prowess, the worst two with Stagger.
Draft. Each of Prowess and Stagger stacks up to half your EXP, rounded down. That is 0 at levels 1 to 3, so the online table never lets the cap fall below 1. At level 6 the cap is 1, at level 12 it is 3 and at level 20 it is 5.
Tip. On your sheet in the online table, Shift-click a Trait to roll it with Prowess, and right-click it to roll with Stagger.
When you fail
A failed check is not the end of the scene. How far you missed the Threshold sets the degree of failure, and the degree is what it costs to turn the failure into a success with Chance.
| Missed the Threshold by | Degree | Chance to turn it into a success |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 5 | Low | 1 |
| 5 to 10 | Moderate | 2 |
| More than 10 | Critical | 3 |
Example: A narrow miss
The Threshold is 20 and you total 17. You missed by 3, which is a Low failure. Spending 1 Chance turns it into a success, but the Game Master adds a Complication. The next chapter explains how.
Contested checks
When two people oppose each other, such as Might against Might to Pin someone, or Sneak against Study to Hide, both roll and the higher total wins. The core actions chapter lists which Traits each action uses.