Relics of the Moon
A science-fantasy roleplaying game of outlandish action-adventure
(pre-release playtest v0.2.0)

Dice Pools

The primary mechanic for resolving Challenges and moving action forward in DTGS is the dice pool. This dice pool is made up of a number of six-sided dice (d6) that are all rolled together. Modifiers are applied and give a number of successes that may be applied to a Challenge to move toward completion.

While there are other tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) that use dice pools, DTGS handles dice pools a bit differently. Rather than each individual character building and rolling a dice pool on their turn, most or all the player characters (PCs) build and resolve all their actions in a single pool on a team turn. DTGS has been designed from the ground up to be a game where teamwork is central and this is reflected in this fundamental mechanic. Each round of a Challenge is a collaborative event. Even when individual characters act solo against a Challenge it can have repercussions on the group.

Results

A result is the number on the face of any single die after rolling.

  • A result may be greater than 6 or less than 1 when modified by different modifiers.
  • A result of 5 or 6 counts as one success.
  • A result of 7 or 8 is a “critical success” and counts as two successes.
  • A result of 9 is an “overpowering success” and counts as three successes.
  • A result of 1 or 0 is considered a “botch” and removes one success.
  • A result of -1 or -2 is a “major botch” and removes two successes.
  • A result of 2, 3, or 4 gives no contribution towards success.
  • Total successes of -1 or less in a pool is a “Disaster” and has consequences beyond simply not succeeding.

Dice Pool Maximum

The maximum number of dice in a single Cohort dice pool is three times the number of PCs (3d x number of PCs). For the typical group of 3-5 PCs, this equates to a maximum of 9d6 - 15d6 for any single dice pool. While most dice pools will be less than this, with various modifiers this maximum can be reached fairly easily. This maximum stays in place regardless of how many PCs face a particular challenge. For example, if a Cohort with four (4) PCs splits up into two pairs to face two different Challenges, the maximum Cohort pool for each group is still 12d6 (3d x 4) and not 6d6 (3d x 2).