Werewolf Mod Dot

[Justin KG]

Werewolf Mod Dot Rules

Below is an explanation of the "Mod-Dot" System that we use instead of Dice at EC/SBC. First there will be explanations, followed by examples of single and contested rolls. All examples given are suitable for all non-combat rolls, and certain types of Combat rolls. For complete rules on how to conduct a combat, please see Werewolf Combat.

Basically, all rolls are determined by a simple formula:

[/ul]So, to determine your Total Successes, take your Dice Pool and divide it in half, rounding up. Throw rock-paper-scissors twice (with an ST or the person you're attempting to use the action on). Any time you win, you add one success; every time you lose, subtract one success. Ties do not change the success total. The resulting number is how many successes result for the action.

[/color][/ul]Pretty simple so far. It then gets a little more complicated when you take alternate dice pools, difficulty, specialties, botches and contested rolls into account.

Alternate Dice Pools: While most actions use the standard Attribute + Ability, there are other possibilities including Willpower, Gnosis, and a few others. This does not change the way you test; just use the number of dots in the required field as your Dice Pool for that test.

Difficulty: Difficulty modifies your Dice Pool directly by adding or subtracting dice BEFORE you cut in half. The following chart shows how many dice you should add or subtract based on the difficulty of the action.

DIFFICULTY:	DICE MOD:	EXAMPLE OF ACTION:
2-	Special*	After your doctoral thesis on knitting socks you're asked to describe one.
2	+6	After your doctoral thesis on knitting socks you're asked to make one.
3	+4	Remembering to look both ways before crossing the street in the Scab.
4	+2	Not being terrified of the Wyrm taint in a Triple Bypass Burger.
5	+1	Walking to the Qwik-E-Mart without attracting undue attention.
6	0	Driving to the Qwik-E-Mart without attracting undue attention.
7	-1	Speeding to the Qwik-E-Mart without attracting undue attention.
8	-2	Scanning a smokey cantina for a likely freighter pilot.
9	-4	Shooting Dirty Harry in the heart. You feel lucky punk!
10	-6	Torpedoing the Death Star with your targeting computer switched off.

* Difficulties may not be reduced below 2. The world of darkness is hard that way.

Specialties: When you acquire the 4th and 5th dots in an Attribute or Ability, you choose a Specialty. After you have cut and rounded your dice pool, if you win both of your rock-paper-scissors tests AND you have a specialty that applies to the situation, you may continue testing for additional successes. You gain additional successes for each consecutive win, but must stop testing after the first tie or loss. Losses in this case do NOT subtract anything from your successes.

Secondary Skills: May be used instead of primary skills where applicable, but do not lower difficulties of a check, they are simply an alternate dice pool.

Degree of Success: The following are examples of how well something is done. This table does not fully explore things that might take extended tests, just stuff that you are likely to do in the middle of a single scene.

• 1 Success - The bomb is going to go off in ten minutes instead of five.
  
• 2 Successes - The same bomb has been defused, but there is a chance it could still be a problem, so best to get out of the way quickly.
  
• 3 Successes - The bomb is defused. Nothing more to worry about.
  
• 4 Successes - Not only is the bomb defused, but if you need it again, you know how to reactivate it without blowing yourself up.
  
• 5+ Successes - You should probably just get an item card for the bomb, cause its yours now.
  

Botches: A botch is defined as testing down at least twice, and having a negative number of Total Successes. If you fail both of your rock-paper-scissors tests, you continue testing until you tie or win. Wins do not modify your total, but if you continue failing, you continue subtracting successes. If you test down 5 times, regardless of any remaining successes, that counts as a Botch.

Failure: If after testing, your end result is zero successes or you test down 4 times, regardless of remaining successes, that counts as an automatic failure.

Contested Rolls: These are rolls where one character is taking an action directly opposed by another player. In this case, each player must calculate his or her Base Successes the same way that they would for a non-contested roll, then make two tests each (preferably with a third party) to determine their Total Successes. The Total Successes are then compared and the action with more successes succeeds with a number of successes equal to the difference in the two totals... welcome back to algebra 101, there’s an example below.

Examples: First we will look at a basic non-contested action- looking for stuff. This is a Perception +
Alertness roll, and the difficulty will be defined by the environment you are looking in.

Hopefully this makes enough sense that when you come to game, you don't feel totally lost. But remember that STs and Advocates are there to help so don't be afraid to ask either at game or in an email.

NOTE from the ST Teams Past and Present:(Much thanks to Chris for this - who thanks Broney, B.J. and many others who came before to make Mod-Dot what it is today.)