Action Roll
When a player character does something challenging, we make an action roll to see how it turns out. An action is challenging if there’s an obstacle to the PC’s goal that’s dangerous or troublesome in some way. We don’t make an action roll unless the PC is put to the test. If their action is something that we’d expect them to simply accomplish, then we don’t make an action roll.
You’re punching him in the face, right? Okay, what do you want to get out of this? Do you want to take him out, or just rough him up so he’ll do what you want?
Negotiate with your GM over the position you find yourself in and what you might do to improve it. Sometimes the position is risky for reasons that aren’t clear until you ask questions.
“It’s risky? It seems like this dockworker isn’t a real threat to me, given that I’m strapped and a dyed-in-the-wool pirate. Shouldn’t this be controlled?”
“No, the danger isn’t the dockworker, but that you’re roughing this guy up in public. One of his buddies could step in or maybe someone will find a Cobalt Syndicate enforcer to deal with you. You could make it controlled if you wait until the guy is alone.”
The GM gets final say over the position of the roll, but should explain and clarify so no one is caught by surprise. Talking about the position will help establish the fictional situation much more clearly and set the tone of the game.
The GM’s choices for effect level and position can be strongly influenced by the player’s choice of action rating. If a player wants to try to make a new friend by scrapping with someone, maybe that’s possible, but the GM wouldn’t be out of line to say it’s a desperate roll and probably limited effect. Seems like consorting would be a lot better for that. Players are always free to choose the action they perform, but that doesn’t mean all actions are equally risky or potent.
For one bonus die, you can get assistance from a teammate. They take 1 stress, say how they help you, and give you +1d.
For another bonus die, you can either push yourself (take 2 stress) or you can accept a Devil’s Bargain (you can’t get dice for both, it’s one or the other). Note though that pushing gives you the option of taking +1 effect. You can push for effect and accept a Devil’s Bargain for an additional die on your roll.
For a third bonus die, you can spend a gambit. A gambit is a limited resource shared by your whole crew, and earned by taking a few risks.
Common bargains include:
“These pirates aren’t the most trustworthy scum, so if we leave them alone with the cash, there’s a good chance they’ll bolt with it while we’re on the other ship. I’m gonna get all up in their faces and command them to keep their dirty hands off.”
“Ooh, I have a Devil’s Bargain. You can take +1d but they don’t take well to the threats. I’ll start a new 4-clock called ‘Pirate Revenge’ and tick it three times. Push them around again and you’re going to have a second group to fight.”
“Nice. I like it! Maybe I’ll try to untick some of that clock in downtime…”
Some players like to inject something new in the story with Devil’s Bargains, or use them to focus on a character’s backstory or nature.
Someone here is a member of your old platoon—the one you left for dead.
One of the mystics becomes obsessed with you.
The crates you’re stealing have clear Guild markings. Your Guild friend is going to be miffed when she hears!
A Devil’s Bargain is always a choice. If you don’t like one, reject it (or suggest how to alter it so you might consider taking it). You can always just push yourself for that bonus die instead. If needed, the GM has final say over what Devil’s Bargains are valid.
The action roll does a lot of work for you. It tells you how well the character performs and how serious the consequences are. They might succeed at their action with no consequences (on a 6), or succeed but suffer consequences (4/5) or it might all go wrong (1-3).
On a 1-3, it’s up to the GM to decide if the PC’s action has any effect or if it even happens at all. Usually, the action just fails completely, but sometimes it might make sense or be more interesting for the action to have some effect even on a 1-3 result.
Hayley rigs up a neural interface to mine a defunct AI core she found in the ruins of an Ur temple. The roll is a 1-3. The GM could say Hayley fails to tap the AI core and the backlash from the desperate failure manifests as level 3 mental harm. But it would be more interesting if the equipment worked and Hayley was confronted with a horrific intelligence, mind-to mind, right? Hayley touches the incomprehensible memories of that ancient entity and the long-dormant madness within overwhelms her. She suffers level 3 mental harm, sure, but also gets a new 6-clock, “Get Rid of These Corrupted Memories.”
Each 4/5 and 1-3 outcome lists suggested consequences for the action. The worse your position, the worse the consequences are. The GM can inflict one or more of these, depending on the circumstances of the action roll. PCs have the ability to avoid or reduce the severity of consequences by resisting them.
When you narrate the action after the roll, the GM and player collaborate together to say what happens on-screen. How do you vault to the other ship? What do you say to the Legionnaire to convince her? When you face the Nightspeaker in single combat, what’s your fighting style like? The GM will tell you the results of your actions.
To make an action roll, we go through six steps. In play, they flow together somewhat, but let’s break each one down here for clarity:
- The player states their goal for the action.
- The player chooses the action rating.
- The GM sets the position for the roll.
- The GM sets the effect level for the action.
- Add bonus dice.
- The player rolls the dice and we judge the result.
1. THE PLAYER STATES THEIR GOAL
Your goal is the concrete outcome your character will achieve when they overcome the obstacle at hand. Usually the character’s goal is pretty obvious in context, but it’s the GM’s job to ask and clarify the goal when necessary. It never hurts to be clear and avoid any confusion.You’re punching him in the face, right? Okay, what do you want to get out of this? Do you want to take him out, or just rough him up so he’ll do what you want?
2. THE PLAYER CHOOSES THE ACTION RATING
The player chooses which action rating to roll, following from what their character is doing on-screen. If you want to roll your scrap action, then get in a fight. If you want to roll your command action, then order someone around. You can’t roll a given action rating unless your character is presently performing that particular action in the fiction. Some actions overlap and the same end result can come via several methods. If you want to hurt someone, you might scrap with them or use doctor to poison them. If you want to scare an enemy, you might command them through terrifying presence or sway them with tough lies. Which action to perform is the player’s choice.3. THE GM SETS THE POSITION
Once the player chooses their action, the GM sets the position for the roll. The position represents how dangerous or troublesome the action might be. There are three positions: controlled, risky, and desperate. To choose a position, the GM looks at the profiles for the positions below and picks one that most closely matches the situation at hand.- CONTROLLED: You’re set up for success. You’re exploiting a dominant advantage.
- RISKY: You go head-to-head. You’re acting under duress. You’re taking a chance.
- DESPERATE: You’re overreaching. You’re in real trouble. A very dangerous maneuver.
Negotiate with your GM over the position you find yourself in and what you might do to improve it. Sometimes the position is risky for reasons that aren’t clear until you ask questions.
“It’s risky? It seems like this dockworker isn’t a real threat to me, given that I’m strapped and a dyed-in-the-wool pirate. Shouldn’t this be controlled?”
“No, the danger isn’t the dockworker, but that you’re roughing this guy up in public. One of his buddies could step in or maybe someone will find a Cobalt Syndicate enforcer to deal with you. You could make it controlled if you wait until the guy is alone.”
The GM gets final say over the position of the roll, but should explain and clarify so no one is caught by surprise. Talking about the position will help establish the fictional situation much more clearly and set the tone of the game.
4. THE GM SETS THE EFFECT LEVEL
The GM assesses the likely effect level of this action, given the factors of the situation. Essentially, the effect level tells us how much this action can accomplish—will it have limited, standard, or great effect?The GM’s choices for effect level and position can be strongly influenced by the player’s choice of action rating. If a player wants to try to make a new friend by scrapping with someone, maybe that’s possible, but the GM wouldn’t be out of line to say it’s a desperate roll and probably limited effect. Seems like consorting would be a lot better for that. Players are always free to choose the action they perform, but that doesn’t mean all actions are equally risky or potent.
5. ADD BONUS DICE
You can normally get three bonus dice for your action roll (some special abilities might give you additional bonus dice).For one bonus die, you can get assistance from a teammate. They take 1 stress, say how they help you, and give you +1d.
For another bonus die, you can either push yourself (take 2 stress) or you can accept a Devil’s Bargain (you can’t get dice for both, it’s one or the other). Note though that pushing gives you the option of taking +1 effect. You can push for effect and accept a Devil’s Bargain for an additional die on your roll.
For a third bonus die, you can spend a gambit. A gambit is a limited resource shared by your whole crew, and earned by taking a few risks.
THE DEVILS BARGAIN
PCs in Scum and Villainy are heedless adventurers who often shoot first and ask questions later—they don’t always act in their own best interests. To reflect this, the GM or any other player can offer you a bonus die to accept a Devil’s Bargain.Common bargains include:
- Collateral damage, unintended harm.
- Sacrifice cred or an item.
- Betray a friend or loved one.
- Offend or anger a faction.
- Start and/or tick a troublesome clock.
- Add heat to the crew from evidence or witnesses.
- Suffer harm.
“These pirates aren’t the most trustworthy scum, so if we leave them alone with the cash, there’s a good chance they’ll bolt with it while we’re on the other ship. I’m gonna get all up in their faces and command them to keep their dirty hands off.”
“Ooh, I have a Devil’s Bargain. You can take +1d but they don’t take well to the threats. I’ll start a new 4-clock called ‘Pirate Revenge’ and tick it three times. Push them around again and you’re going to have a second group to fight.”
“Nice. I like it! Maybe I’ll try to untick some of that clock in downtime…”
Some players like to inject something new in the story with Devil’s Bargains, or use them to focus on a character’s backstory or nature.
Someone here is a member of your old platoon—the one you left for dead.
One of the mystics becomes obsessed with you.
The crates you’re stealing have clear Guild markings. Your Guild friend is going to be miffed when she hears!
A Devil’s Bargain is always a choice. If you don’t like one, reject it (or suggest how to alter it so you might consider taking it). You can always just push yourself for that bonus die instead. If needed, the GM has final say over what Devil’s Bargains are valid.
6. ROLL THE DICE AND JUDGE THE RESULT
Once the goal, action rating, position, and effect have been established, add any bonus dice and roll the dice pool to determine the outcome.The action roll does a lot of work for you. It tells you how well the character performs and how serious the consequences are. They might succeed at their action with no consequences (on a 6), or succeed but suffer consequences (4/5) or it might all go wrong (1-3).
On a 1-3, it’s up to the GM to decide if the PC’s action has any effect or if it even happens at all. Usually, the action just fails completely, but sometimes it might make sense or be more interesting for the action to have some effect even on a 1-3 result.
Hayley rigs up a neural interface to mine a defunct AI core she found in the ruins of an Ur temple. The roll is a 1-3. The GM could say Hayley fails to tap the AI core and the backlash from the desperate failure manifests as level 3 mental harm. But it would be more interesting if the equipment worked and Hayley was confronted with a horrific intelligence, mind-to mind, right? Hayley touches the incomprehensible memories of that ancient entity and the long-dormant madness within overwhelms her. She suffers level 3 mental harm, sure, but also gets a new 6-clock, “Get Rid of These Corrupted Memories.”
Each 4/5 and 1-3 outcome lists suggested consequences for the action. The worse your position, the worse the consequences are. The GM can inflict one or more of these, depending on the circumstances of the action roll. PCs have the ability to avoid or reduce the severity of consequences by resisting them.
When you narrate the action after the roll, the GM and player collaborate together to say what happens on-screen. How do you vault to the other ship? What do you say to the Legionnaire to convince her? When you face the Nightspeaker in single combat, what’s your fighting style like? The GM will tell you the results of your actions.
DOUBLE-DUTY ROLLS
Since NPCs don’t roll for their actions, an action roll does double duty. It resolves the action of the PC as well as any NPCs that are involved. The single roll tells us how those actions interact and which consequences result. On a 6, the PC wins and has their effect. On a 4/5, it’s a mix—both the PC and the NPC have their effect. On a 1-3, the NPC wins and has their effect as a consequence on the PC.