Chapter Five
Resolving Checks
# Resolving Checks ### Assigning Difficulty Before rolling, the GM sets the **difficulty** of the check by adding negative dice to the pool. Most difficulty is expressed in **Trial Dice** . For especially dangerous or volatile situations, one or more Trial Dice may be **upgraded** to Crisis Dice , replacing a Trial Die with a Crisis Die. | Difficulty | Trial Dice | Description | |:-----------|:-----------|:------------| | Simple | — | No check required; success is automatic | | Easy | | Routine tasks with minimal risk | | Average | | Standard challenges under pressure | | Hard | | Demanding tasks requiring real skill | | Severe | | Expert-level challenges | | Extreme | | Near-impossible feats | ### Reading the Results After rolling, resolve the pool in this order: **Step 1 — Account for Breakthroughs and Calamities.** For each add a to the results pool. For each add a to the results pool. Remove any and from the pool before cancellation. They are resolved in Step 5. Their special effects are never cancelled by any symbol. **Step 2 — Cancel opposing symbols.** Each cancels one and vice versa. Each cancels one and vice versa. **Step 3 — Determine Success or Failure.** If at least one remains after cancellation, the check **succeeds**. If no remains, the check **fails**. **Step 4 — Count net Boons or Banes.** Remaining symbols are **Boons**; remaining symbols are **Banes**. These represent secondary effects layered onto the primary result. **Step 5 — Apply Breakthroughs and Calamities.** Breakthroughs and Calamities trigger their effects regardless of whether the check ultimately succeeds or fails. A Breakthrough on a failed check still produces its special effect. A Calamity on a successful check likewise triggers its effect. These effects are defined by the situation, the GM, or the Universe rules.
##### Reading Results Quickly > - Success? Look for net . > - Secondary texture? Look for net or . > - Exceptional moment? Look for or . That's the whole read.
### Interpreting Boons and Banes While Universes define specific uses, the following guidelines provide a baseline for interpreting results: - **1 Boon** — Minor benefit (recover Strain, small positional advantage, +1 to next related check) - **2 Boons** — Noticeable benefit (assist an ally, gain useful information, reduce time required) - **3+ Boons** — Significant advantage (alter the scene, bypass a complication, create a lasting benefit) - **1 Bane** — Minor setback (lose position, suffer Strain, small delay) - **2 Banes** — Complication (lose resources, expose vulnerability, grant enemy advantage) - **3+ Banes** — Major complication (introduce new threat, escalate danger, worsen conditions) These are guidelines, not restrictions. The GM should always interpret results in context. If no clear narrative use for a Boon is available, spend 1 Boon with no stronger use to recover 1 Strain. This serves as a mechanical floor; Boons should never be wasted.
##### Ties Fail A check with no net Successes is a failure, even if no Failures were rolled.
### Example Check A character attempts to climb a crumbling wall under pressure. Dice pool: - 2 Mastery Dice, 1 Ability Die - 2 Trial Dice - 1 Bane Die (poor conditions) Roll results: - from positive dice - from negative dice Step 1 — No Breakthroughs or Calamities rolled. Step 2 — Cancel: 2 Successes cancel 1 Failure → 1 Success remains. 1 Boon cancels 1 Bane → none remain. Step 3 — 1 net Success → the climb **succeeds**. Step 4 — No remaining Boons or Banes. The character successfully climbs the wall without additional benefit or complication. ### Breakthrough and Calamity Examples The following examples clarify how Breakthroughs and Calamities interact with Successes and Failures . ##### Example 1 — Breakthrough and Failure Roll: Step 1 — Handle Breakthrough: Add to the result pool. Remove the Step 2 — Cancel: The and are removed. Step 3 — Pending Effects *(set aside in Step 1)*: Final result: **Failure** **The Breakthrough’s special effect still triggers**, even though the check fails. ##### Example 2 — Breakthrough and Multiple Failures Roll: Step 1 — Handle Breakthrough: Add to the result pool. Remove the Step 2 — Cancel: The and are removed. Step 3 — Pending Effects *(set aside in Step 1)* + remaining symbols: + Final result: **Failure** **The Breakthrough effect still triggers**, even though the check fails. ##### Example 3 — Breakthrough and Calamity Roll: Step 1 — Handle both: Add to the result pool. Step 2 — Cancel: The and are removed. Step 3 — Pending Effects *(set aside in Step 1)*: Final result: **Failure** Both exceptional effects trigger: - The Breakthrough produces a significant positive effect - The Calamity produces a significant negative effect This represents a dramatic mixed outcome: something goes very right and very wrong at the same time. ##### Example 4 — Calamity and Success Roll: Step 1 — Handle Calamity: Add to the result pool. Remove the Step 2 — Cancel: One and one are removed. Final result: **Success** The action succeeds, but **the Calamity effect still triggers**. ### Key Principles - A Breakthrough always contributes **one Success** that may be cancelled, plus a Breakthrough effect **that cannot be cancelled** - A Calamity always contributes **one Failure** that may be cancelled, plus a Calamity effect **that cannot be cancelled** - Their special effects **always trigger**, regardless of success or failure - If Successes and Failures are equal after all effects are applied, the check **fails** ### Interpreting Results Consistently Exodus NDS is designed to produce layered outcomes. The GM should always resolve results in the following order of importance: 1. **Did the action succeed or fail?** 2. **What secondary effects occurred? (Boons/Banes)** 3. **Did anything exceptional happen? (Breakthrough/Calamity)** Each layer should meaningfully affect the outcome. Avoid ignoring any part of the result.