I’ve revised this piece and created a pdf, the link for which, may be found in my downloads section, on the right.
The Critical 00 Task Resolution System
By James A. Smith
“The road to Rollmaster is paved with good intentions.”
One of the neatest features of “old school” gaming, is that player’s can try and do just about anything. For those situations, when a die roll is called for, I offer the following.
The difficulty spread for attempting an action which, the DM decides needs random adjudication, such as knowing an obscure piece of religious lore, climbing a wall, etc., runs from 13 to 24.
13, represents the Merely Difficult; 18, is Very, Very, Hard. The Critical 00 System is designed with the supposition that most attempts will fall within this range.
But, on occasion, the DM may deem a Task to be Extremely Difficult. This is represented by a 19–21 spread.
Lastly, you never know what player’s might try to do. 22-24 represents the Insanely Difficult to Nigh Unto Impossible range.
A Success is determined by making a Resolution Check and matching or exceeding the target number. Two ten-sided dice are rolled and the results are added together, then, applicable Bonuses are added to the sum. 0 is treated as zero, unless a double ought is rolled, the latter being treated as a Critical Success, always.
There are two types of Resolution Checks and each one has a separate method for determining an initial, class-based Bonus to the Roll:
The Basic Resolution Check – Characters receive a +1 Bonus at first level and an additional +1 every four levels, thereafter (Another at 5th, then at 9th, etc.) This is for anything the character may attempt, which is not covered by the roll/bonus below.
The Professional Resolution Check – Characters receive a +2 Bonus at first level, and another +1 every three levels, thereafter. This is used for anything that ties in close enough to the character’s class. Such as, a MU attempting to know an obscure bit of arcane lore, a Fighter trying to perform some simple blacksmithing to repair his armor, etc.
There are two more Bonuses, which may apply:
The Player Bonus: When applicable, a Bonus or penalty should be assessed, based upon the players’ description of how he’s going to go about performing the task at hand and overall skill in handling the situation. The random determination shouldn’t take the place of the player thinking things through and formulating a course of action. Nor should the DM allow himself to be lazy, when imagining the situation and necessities involved, for success. The system may best be of use, when, the above isn’t very practical. As a DM, I wear many hats; blacksmithing, is one, I’ve yet to put on. I wouldn’t expect a player to have more than a basic idea of how to go about smithing, either. I would, however, grant a bonus for creative thought, whether the player came up with complete bullshit, or spoke with some knowledge, of the subject.
The Ability Score Bonus: This may be assessed and granted, at the DM’s discretion.
Training:
If a character Succeeds 50 times, at a specific Task that falls into the first Resolution Check category, he may, thereafter, use his Professional Bonus on further attempts at the same Task. These attempts only count when it’s “for real.” Practice doesn’t count. The player must indicate to the DM that he is attempting to Train his ability to perform the task in question and keep up with the paperwork, himself. If a Critical Success is rolled, on any attempt, the character is assumed to have a knack for that particular task, and may use the Professional Bonus, thereafter.
