This is a short description of conflict resolution for TSOY.

Revised Edition Cheat Sheet

The ability check

Find an ability appropriate to the action your character is taking. Roll three Fudge dice plus any bonus or penalty dice. (NOTE: Gift or Pool dice can also be added after the roll.)

• Bonus dice cancel out penalty dice on a one-for-one basis.
• If you have bonus dice, take the three highest of all dice rolled.
• If you have penalty dice, take the three lowest of all dice rolled.

Apply the dice to your ability. The result is your Success Level (SL).

Success Levels

 Success Level   Descriptor
     0           Failure
     1           Marginal
     2           Good
     3           Great
     4           Amazing
     5           Legendary
     6           Ultimate
     7           Transcendent

Pools: You can always spend one point from your ability's associated pool to get one bonus die on the ability check. This is limited to one bonus die per ability check.

Using abilities together: Two or more abilities can be used to accomplish a complex action. Determine the order of importance of each, then roll from least to greatest. The SL is the number of bonus dice granted to the next check. The Story Guide will determine if any Failures abort the whole action.

Characters working together: Decide order of actions and roll ability checks; bonus dice go to the next roller (failure gives next roller a penalty die). Same or similar abilities go in order from highest to lowest rank; penalty dice from the Story Guide on that ability apply to all rolls with that ability.

Unopposed ability check

A conflict involving one person, i.e. climbing a wall.

1. State your character’s intention. The Story Guide will set the stakes.
2. Assign bonus or penalty dice based on circumstances. Don’t forget to ask for Gift Dice if you want.
3. Roll the dice and find the SL. If it is Marginal or greater, you apply your character’s intention. If the SL is a Failure, the Story Guide’s stakes apply.

Competitive ability check

Two or more characters attempting the same task, trying to outdo each other.

• As per an unopposed check, except the victory conditions are also set before rolling. E.g.: A cook-off, condition is tastiest dish wins.
• The highest SL wins. If the S Ls are tied, the result is a draw or the check can be re-rolled.

Resisted ability check

Two characters attempting tasks that cancel each other out.

• As per an unopposed check.
• The highest Success Level wins. If S Ls are tied, the instigator of the action loses.

Surprise

If one character gains surprise over another, the surpriser automatically applies his or her intention to the surprised, who can Bring Down the Pain.

Bringing Down the Pain

Any player can Bring Down the Pain if he or she doesn’t like the result of an ability check (success or failure) or wants to permanently kill a named NPC.

1. Each participant states a clear intention for his character.
2. Each participant states an action for the current “volley”:
   • Parallel actions doen’t necessarily get in the way of each other.
   • Perpendicular actions get in each other’s way.
   • Defensive: Allows you to alter intention next volley. You can only defend using an innate ability.
3. Factor any applicable bonus or penalty dice. On the first action, the winner of the initial conflict gets bonus dice equal to the difference between the Success Levels of the original check. Don’t forget to ask for Gift Dice if you want.
4. Roll the dice and determine Success Levels, then apply results:
   • Parallel: Each participant applies harm to the other equal to the participant’s SL plus weapons, minus armour.
   • Perpendicular: Higher SL applies harm to lower, equal to the difference between SL plus weapons, minus armour.
   • Defensive: As perpendicular, unless defender wins; if so, defender gets bonus dice equal to the difference between S Ls to his or her next check.
   • If a character’s total harm goes above 6, that character automatically gives in.
5. Either participant may give in and allow other’s intention to be applied. If not, return to Step 2 (or Step 1 if a player is changing intention).

Once Bringing Down the Pain ends, apply intentions and shake harm down.