Dice Pools, Tests & Opposing Rolls

The world of darkness system functions on the basis of rolling dice against either a pre set difficulty or an opposing roll while trying to carry out the various actions available to the player.

The basic mechanics

Important interactions in the World of Darkness are made via tests or opposing rolls. These are performed at the discretion of the storyteller who establishes their difficulty or the nature of the opposing roll accordingly.
For simplicity’s sake it is easiest to remember that there are only really 2 types of dice rolls:

• Tests: These are made against a pre-set difficulty determined by the storyteller.
• Opposing Rolls: Are rolls made between two players or a player and an NPC with the highest result winning the roll off and the winner succeeding in their action.

Building a Dice Pool

A dice pool is built depending on the circumstances. Generally an opposing roll or test is triggered by a players or NPCs actions. The Storyteller describes the current situation and the player advises what actions he would like to take. The Storyteller than, based on the players choices and what he knows to be occurring behind the scenes, establishes a dice pool. To create a dice pool follow the formula bellow:
Key Attribute + Key Skill + Bonus Points - Penalty Points = Total Dice Pool

• Key Attributes: This will be one of you basic 9 Attributes which you can find on top of your character sheet. For each dot you character possess in the Key Attribute, you add a dice to your dice pool.
• Key Skill: This will be one of your 27 Skills which you can find on your character sheet. Generally all Attributes and skills are treated as either Physical, Social or Mental ones and, in most cases, if a test or roll includes a Key Attribute from one of these 3 types than it is safe to assume that the Key skill will corelate this (a Key Mental Attribute will be paired with a Key Mental Skill, a Key Physical Attribute will be paired with a Key Physical Skill and a Key Social Attribute will be paired with a Key Social Skill). For instance a test to see if a character can dodge an incoming attack will be a test of Dexterity (Key Physical Attribute) + Athletics (Key Physical Skill). Regardless of what combination the storyteller choses for each dot you character possess in the Key Skill, you add a dice to your dice pool.
• Bonus Points: Bonus Points will be touched upon in their own section. For now it is good enough to know that for each Bonus Point you possess you add an additional dice to your dice pool.
• Penalty Points: These will be explained in their own section along with Bonus Points. For now it is good enough to know that for each Penalty Point you possess you remove a dice from your dice pool.

Double Key Attribute

Sometimes another skill or value simply wont do for the test and the Storyteller instead Substitutes the Key Skill for a secondary Key Attribute. This is not uncommon as most Resistance rolls to supernatural abilities include this combination. The same method to building the dice pool still applies with the value of the Key Skill substituted for the value of the Key Attribute, while the Bonus and Penalty Points still apply as normal.

Uncommon Tests

Sometimes the storyteller might decide to perform a test which does not neatly fall into the formula above. This is actually normal as you character sheet also includes Special Attributes, Key Racial Attributes (if your playing anything other than human), Willpower, Health, Humanity and Advantages (optional). When an uncommon test occurs than most often the Key Skill, but sometimes it can also be the Key Attribute, will be traded for some other value on your character sheet. The same method to building the dice pool still applies with the one (or two) substituted values adding dice to the dice pool equal to their value, while the Bonus and Penalty Points still apply as normal.

No Dice

In some cases your character can possess such a small dice pool that when Penalty Points are applied you no longer have any dice left. If this is the case the Storyteller should advise the player that the situation is so incredibly hopeless that there is no way for the character to succeed and allow him to make an alternative action (if one is possible) or simply apply a 0 success rate to the test or opposing roll.

Halving the Dice Pool

In some cases your character can possess such a large number of dice that you find your hands full and unable to roll them all without making a ruckus. A good rule to follow is for the Storyteller to halve the players dice pool (rounding up) and than, once the number of success is known, double the successes or simply halve the actual test difficulty required to pass. Generally this rule should always be applied if the character is rolling more than 10 dice and has 3 immediate benefits for the game.
The first is that you have less dice rolling around the board, meaning clean up is easier and you also do not need to buy dozens of dice for your game.
Secondly, it allows for quicker gameplay as the players can more easily count up their successes.
Thirdly, it actually benefits the player to do this as the ability to re-roll your dice (by using willpower or another ability) has a bigger pay off.
The only thing to remember is to also make sure when you are using a mixed dice pool (of red and black dice) that you halve the red dice separately from the black one.

Draws

Draws can only really occur on opposing rolls. When a Draw occurs the player who is considered the defender (up to the storytellers interpretation) counts as having won the test.

Tests

All tests have their difficulty established by the storyteller. A good rule to apply is the 3-success rule which would dictate that most medium difficulty tests should start with a difficulty of 3 which is than lowered or raised depending on the Storytellers preference. It should also be noted that the Storyteller should only apply those Bonus or Penalty Points which are inherent to the players characters or some wider in game event and simply adjust the test difficulty accordingly in order to save time.
To ease the time taken to establish the difficulty rating for a test follow the formula bellow:
Type of Test + Bonus Points Possessed by NPCs (if any) + Secret Penalty Points = Test Difficulty Score

• Type of Test: Establish if the test is suppose to be easy, moderate or hard. In most cases an easy test has a difficulty of 1-2, a moderate test a difficulty of 3-4 and a hard test has a difficulty of 5+. Whichever value the storyteller selects, add that to the final test difficulty score.
• Bonus Points Possessed by NPCs (if any): If the storyteller is aware that the NPCs involved (if there are any) possess an advantage of some sort, than he can apply those advantages to the test difficulty.
  So for instance if an NPC has some form of equipment that gives bonus dice to their rolls and the storyteller wishes to make it a test instead of an opposing roll, than he simply adds an amount of points, equal to the bonus points the NPC would normally receive to the test total difficulty score.
• Secret Penalty Points: These are effects that would normally cause a character opposing an NPC to reduce their dice pool. In instances of tests all such Penalty Points, which do not originate from the player character (injury or other effects), are added to the total Test Difficulty Score.
• Success: As long as the player has equaled or beaten the test difficulty than he is treated as having passed the test.

Substituting Test Difficulty for Attribute

In some cases it might be simply quicker to substitute a Test Difficulty Score for a Key Attribute that the target possess. For instance if a Player wishes to hit an NPC the Storyteller can instead substitute any Test Difficulty Score or Opposing roll for a key Attribute held by the target, which in this case would normally be its Stamina.

Opposing Rolls

Opposing rolls occur when either two player characters make an action against one another or the storyteller deems it appropriate to make an opposing roll with an NPC. For the player nothing changes in terms of how they calculate their dice pool. The storyteller on the other hand calculates the amount of dice he would use in the same manner as if the NPC was his own playable character. Both players (or storyteller and player) make their rolls and the winner of the roll succeeds in their desired actions. Note that while an opposing roll can use the exact same Key Attribute and Key Skill as the player, this is not always the case and they can vary depending on the situation. The exciting thing about opposing rolls is that they are unpredictable. The negative aspect is that they are slower than a straight up test. The storyteller should therefore make sure to limit their use and only use them when a situation warrants it or when the players are dealing with a particularly powerful NPC.
Draw
If a Draw occurs than the player who is considered the defender (up to the storytellers interpretation) counts as having won the test. If neither player is the defender than the outcome is for the storyteller to interpret.

Margin of Success

  In most cases a player will overcome a test or opposing roll by several successes. In such instances the storyteller should apply additional bonuses to the roll. Note this only works for non-combat related rolls as those are covered in their own section later on. For now simply apply the following rules for the success margin:

• 0 Successes beyond the minimum requirements - Clenched: If it is a test, you just barely scraped by. If it is an opposing roll than the defender (if there is one) counts as having won by 1 success. 
• 1 Success beyond the minimum requirements - Marginal: You managed to succeed although it was a close call. There should be no extra bonuses.
• 2 Successes beyond the minimum requirements - Moderate: You succeeded in your actions more due to your training and experience than anything else, but otherwise your heart was not in it. There should be no extra bonuses. 
• 3 Successes beyond the minimum requirements - Complete: You performed your action perfectly. The storyteller should apply some minor bonus to the outcome. 
• 4 Successes beyond the minimum requirements - Exceptional: You performed an exceptional action. The storyteller should apply a greater bonus to the outcome. 
• 5 Successes beyond the minimum requirements - Phenomenal: You performed a breathtaking action or one of pure brilliance. You did not only succeed in the test but the storyteller should consider further tests to receive a reduction in difficulty or Bonus Points be added to the players next roll.