The important thing to remember with simple contests is that there's one roll, period. That single roll covers the whole conflict. If you fight some guy, and he gets a marginal success, you get your bell rung and, in some way that makes sense, the fight ends... it takes the fight out of you, whatever.
- State your goal and the ability your hero uses.
- Figure your target number, using the ability rating and any modifiers.
- The GM selects the resistance.
- Roll a die to determine your degree of success of failure, then apply any bumps (from Masteries or spending Hero Points). The GM does the same for the "other side".
- Determine level of victory or defeat (see the Simple Contest Results table, below).
- Determine contest consequences (see the Contest Consequences table, below).
Simple Contest Results
| | | Opponent's Roll | | |
Player's
Roll | Critical | Success | Failure | Fumble |
| Critical | Low roll: Marginal victory, or tie. | PC: Minor Victory. | PC: Major Victory. | PC: Complete Victory. |
| Success | PC: Minor Defeat. | Low roll: Marginal victory, or tie. | PC: Minor Victory. | PC: Major Victory. |
| Failure | PC: Major Defeat. | PC: Minor Defeat. | Low roll: Marginal victory, or tie. | PC: Minor Victory. |
| Fumble | PC: Complete Defeat. | PC: Major Defeat. | PC: Minor Defeat. | Tie* |
* The GM might declare the both contestants suffer a marginal defeat to indicate that, although their results cancel out, both their situations still worsen.
Contest Consequences
Contest
Result | Defeat
Level | Penalty Assessed
to Appropriate Abilities | Resistance to
Mundane Healing | Resistance to
Magical Healing |
| Hurt | Marginal | -1 | 14* | 14 |
| Impaired | Minor | -10% off ability's rating | 17 | 14 |
| Injured | Major | -50% off ability's rating | 5W | 14 |
| Dying | Complete | No actions allowed. | 20W | 14 |
* Victory at the healing check heals all hurts. Healing 4 or more hurts at once faces a resistance of 6 +3 per additional hurt over the first.
