Every elder koh carries in their breast pocket two dice carved from the eyes of kaimal, Veye’s guardian messengers, who tear out their own eyes in imitation of their blind god and give them to the koh to be used to know Veye’s will. The dice are called Amatin and Avarin, Truth and Light, and Koh are trained in the use of the dice upon entering the priesthood, though only elder koh carry them and use them for real divination. When the elder koh infuses the dice with liquid magick, addresses simple yes or no questions to them, and then rolls them with the proper series of ritualized gestures, the six sided dice land on a combination of faces that answer the question with varying degrees of certainty. The dice never lie and appear to know all things in the present moment, but interpreting their faces and their degrees of certainty is not easy. Nevertheless, the elder koh can gain a great deal of insight from carefully worded questions if they are willing to spend hours of time rolling, rerolling, and reading their dice.
Introduction
The Way of the Earth has as its central game mechanic a method of resolving actions called the "Judge Two System," so named because players always roll two dice and always make a judgement about how best to use the results showing on those two dice.
Rolling Dice
Dice are rolled in The Way of the Earth whenever the outcome of a player's action is uncertain and the stakes involved are high. The players are the only ones who ever roll any dice. The gamemaster never rolls any dice in The Way of the Earth, not even on behalf of non-player characters. When the players do roll dice, they always roll two, six sided dice.
Once the two dice are rolled, the player observes the rolled results and "judges" the dice. This involves assigning one die to be called Truth and one die to be called Light. A roll's Light die is added to one of the player character's attributes to form a sum called the action's power (or AP). If a roll's action power is greater than or equal to the target number (or TN) assigned to the action by the gamemaster, which represents the action's level of challenge and drama, then the action is a success and results in the player's favor. If a roll's action power is less than the target number, then the action fails and results in something that opposes the player's interests.
A roll's Truth die, on the other hand, decides what happens next. With a Truth of 1-3, the roll results in a disadvantageous turn of events called a guilt. With a Truth of 4-6, the roll results in an advantageous turn of events called an innocence.
Therefore, when dice are rolled in The Way of the Earth to determine the outcome of a player's action, there are four possible results.
A Guilty Failure (AP < TN and Truth 1-3): The worst possible result. The attempted action fails and results in a disadvantageous turn of events.
An Innocent Failure (AP < TN and Truth 4-6): The action fails but results in an advantageous turn of events.
A Guilty Success (AP >/= TN and Truth 1-3): The action succeeds but results in a disadvantageous turn of events.
An Innocent Success (AP >/= TN and Truth 4-6): The best possible result. The action succeeds and results in an advantageous turn of events.
Tests and Saves
There are two kinds of rolls that the gamemaster might call on a player to make when the outcome of an action is uncertain and the stakes involved are high: tests and saves. Tests and saves both involve rolling two dice, judging them as Truth and Light, and resolving the roll in the manner described above. But tests and saves differ in two important ways.
1) Tests and saves are used in different situations. Tests are rolls to determine the outcome of actions that are initiated by a player character, while saves are rolls to determine the outcome of actions initiated by non-player characters against a player character. When a test is successful, a player character's action achieves the desired result. When a save is successful, a player character resists the desired result of a non-player character's action.
2) Tests and saves both add one of the player character's attributes to a roll's Light to determine an attempted action's power, but the attributes used for tests and saves are different. Tests add one of a player character's three greater attributes to Light and saves add one of a player character's three lesser attributes to Light. The three greater attributes are beauty, strength, and wisdom. The three lesser attributes are poise, valor, and initiative. Beauty is added to tests involving social persuasion or artistic performance. Strength is added to tests involving physical daring or martial prowess. Wisdom is added to tests involving keen perception or creative intelligence. Poise is added to saves involving resistance to temptation or manipulation. Valor is added to saves involving endurance or defensive maneuvers. Initiative is added to saves involving quick thinking or reflexes. Tests and saves are also subject to different action power bonuses and penalties. It is important to understand when some effect is granting a bonus or penalty to tests or to saves, as the same bonus or penalty is rarely applied to both.
Target Numbers
Tests and saves are both rolled against a target number which represents an action’s challenge or level of drama. The higher the target number, the more difficult the action is to succeed at, and the less likely that the player character will be able to achieve a result that favors them. Target numbers range from four to twelve. On tests and saves where an action involves a non-player character, either a test initiated against a non-player character or a save against a non-player character’s initiated action, the roll’s target number is commonly equal to the non-player character’s power number (or PN). A power number is a general representation of a non-player character’s level of threat, influence, and significance. The stronger the non-player character, the higher their power number, and therefore the higher the target number to take actions against them or to resist actions taken by them against the player characters. Power numbers range from four to twelve just like target numbers.
Target numbers of three or below are mundane actions that usually do not need to be rolled to resolve.
Beauty: Flirting with an intoxicated person
Strength: Climbing up a ladder
Wisdom: Following lone footprints in the sand
Target numbers from four to six are difficult for the average person, but achievable by someone with a little skill, a little luck, or a little extra preparation.
Beauty: Successfully haggling with a common merchant
Strength: Hiking a mountain in a downpour
Wisdom: Solving an old riddle
Target numbers from seven to nine are difficult even for those with a lifetime of training in a particular discipline or area of knowledge, and likely require some considerable resources if success is to be attained.
Beauty: Performing a complex musical piece before a royal court
Strength: Climbing over a fortified gate with bare hands
Wisdom: Translating an esoteric text of magick
Target numbers of ten to twelve are of an epic level of difficulty, and beyond the abilities of most mortal creatures, and might even test the powers of supernal beings.
Beauty: Seducing a demon
Strength: Lifting and throwing a boulder
Wisdom: Safely navigating the underworld
Degrees of Success and Failure
A successful test or save is said to have a number of degrees of success equal to the roll’s action power minus the roll’s target number. A failed test or save is said to have a number of degrees of failure equal to the roll’s target number minus the roll’s action power.
For example:
An action power of eight and a target number of five would equal three degrees of success.
An action power of seven and a target number of seven would equal zero degrees of success, since a success results from an action power that is either greater than or equal to a target number.
An action power of four and a target number of six would equal two degrees of failure.
The higher a test or save’s degrees of success, the more fantastically the action has succeeded. The higher a test or save’s degrees of failure, the more terribly the action has failed. Degrees of success and failure are notated in this text with a number after a roll’s results. For example: “Guilty Success 2” indicates that the action succeeded with two degrees of success but resulted in a guilt. “Innocent Failure 3” indicates that the action failed with three degrees of failure and resulted in an innocence.
Degrees of success and failure can also be described as opposites of one another. If a player character gets two degrees of failure on a save against a non-player character's action, this is equivalent to the non-player character getting two degrees of success on their initiated action. If a player character gets one degree of success on a test against a non-player character, this is equivalent to the non-player character getting one degree of failure against the player character.
Degrees of success and failure are not relevant for every single action that characters attempt in The Way of the Earth. Sometimes they make no difference at all. But in dangerous situations like martial and social conflicts, a high degree of success or failure can be the difference between life or death. Typically, degrees of success of 0-2 allow conflicting characters to apply minor negative effects to one another called "takes." Degrees of success of 3-4 allow conflicting characters to apply serious negative effects to one another called "marks." Degrees of success of 5+ allow conflicting characters to apply major negative effects to one another called "checks." Similar stakes are involved in degrees of failure. 1-2 Degrees of failure can result in a take, 3-4 degrees of failure can result in a mark, and 5+ degrees of failure can result in a check. The Resolving Actions page describes these effects in more detail.
Guilt and Innocence
In The Way of the Earth, a roll is considered guilty or innocent independent of whether or not it is a success or a failure, and every roll, test or save, is either guilty or innocent as determined by the Truth die. At bottom, guilt and innocence determines who initiates the next action after the present action being attempted. Guilt indicates that either 1) the gamemaster themselves or 2) an opposing character near the player character initiates the next action. Innocence indicates that either 3) the player themselves or 4) a allied character near the player character initiates the next action.
These four possibilities are detailed below.
These four possibilities are detailed below.
Guilt In Action
1) The gamemaster themselves initiates an action against the player character.
This guilt can take several forms depending on the needs of the narrative and the gamemaster's choice. The gamemaster may reveal (a Reveal Guilt) an unfortunate turn of events, some new opponent, new element of danger, or new restriction on the player character's actions, representing the player character's bad luck or lack of awareness of the situation around them. The gamemaster might bring an environmental challenge (a Challenge Guilt) to bear against the player character, requiring them to save against it. Or, the gamemaster might directly apply a minor negative effect to the player character, called a "take," (a Taking Guilt) which is described in more detail on the Resolving Actions page. Guilt of these types are most appropriate to actions and situations where the player character and their allies are not involved in a conflict with other characters.
2) An opponent nearby the player character initiates an action of the gamemaster's choice.
This guilt is the simplest of the guilts, but requires the presence of an opposing character with the means, ability, and motivation to take action. The gamemaster describes how the player character's action provokes or creates a window of opportunity for an opposing non-player character's action (a Turning Guilt), and then the player character or one of their nearby allies becomes the target of the non-player character's action, likely requiring a save to resolve. Guilt of this type is most appropriate to actions and situations where the player character and their allies is involved in a conflict with other characters.
When a roll is guilty, the gamemaster determines which type of guilt ultimately results from the roll.
Innocence In Action
3) The player character themselves initiates a follow up action of their choice.
This innocence can take several forms depending on the needs of the narrative and the player's choice. The player may receive a hint or clue from the gamemaster, some bit of information about other characters or the scene at hand that the player could not know on their own (a Secret Innocence), which helps to guide their future action choices. The player may be presented an opportunity to attempt to make up for, or to mitigate the consequences of, a failure, if their roll was an innocent failure (a Recovery Innocence). In such a case, success on the follow up allows the player character to escape the negative consequences of their previous failure. Or, the player may choose to directly apply a minor negative effect to a nearby opponent, called a "take," (a Taking Innocence), which is described in more detail on the Resolving Actions page. Innocence of these types are most appropriate to actions and situations where the player character and their allies are not in conflict with other characters.
4) An ally nearby the player character initiates an action of their choice.
This innocence requires the presence of an allied character with the means, ability, and motivation to take action. The player describes how their character's action enables or creates a window of opportunity for an allied player character's action (a Turning Innocence), and then they choose which action to undertake, likely requiring a test to resolve. Innocence of this type is most appropriate to actions and situations where the player character and their allies are involved in a conflict with other characters.
When a roll is innocent, the gamemaster still determines which type of innocence ultimately results from the roll, although the player characters may suggest something appropriate for the situation at hand.
Action Summary
Over the next few pages, a few labels will be used to describe actions. The full definitions of these labels are left to the Resolving Actions page, but it can be helpful to have a broad understanding of what they mean when imagining how tests and saves play out.
Major: A major action is an action that takes enough time and energy, or has enough challenge and drama to it, that a test or save is necessary to determine its outcome. The player or gamemaster describes the attempted action, and then uses the Judge Two System to determine the outcome, as described above.
Minor: A minor action is an action that is easy enough or mundane enough that a test or save is not necessary to determine its outcome. These actions are simply described, and they occur as is.
Simple: A simple action is an action whose outcome is not influenced by the actions or reactions of other characters. Simple actions can be major actions, in which case they are resolved with tests as described above, or minor actions, in which case they do not need to be resolved and they occur as is.
Contested: A contested action is an action whose outcome is influenced by the actions or reactions of other characters. Contested actions are always major actions, since other characters can call the action's outcome into doubt, and are resolved with tests if they are initiated by the player characters, or with saves if they are initiated by non-player characters against player characters.
Gameplay Examples
Ajira - Played by: Ash - Beauty 2 / Strength 4 / Wisdom 3
1) Ash says that Ajira is attempting to follow a spy through a crowded market place in the middle of the day. The GM rules this as a simple, major action, resolved with a wisdom test with a TN of seven; difficult, but not impossible for someone with skill. Ash rolls two dice, getting a 5 and a 3. Ash judges the 5 Light and the 3 Truth. Ash adds her wisdom to her Light for a total of 8AP. With an AP greater than or equal to the TN and a Truth of 2, Ajira's action is a guilty success 1.
The GM chooses the Taking Guilt, and says that Ajira manages to follow the spy through the market place until he ducks into a side alley running between some small shops. Ash turns the corner only to have the spy leap out at her and shove her to the ground (a take effect) before turning to run.
2) Ash says that Ajira chases after the spy, sprinting at full speed in attempt to tackle him. The GM rules this as a contested action resolved with a strength test with a TN of eight, equal to the spy's PN; again, difficult, but strength is on Ajira's side. Ash rolls two dice, getting a 6 and a 4. Ash judges the 6 Light and the 4 Truth. Ash adds her strength to her Light for a total of 10AP. With an AP greater than or equal to the TN and a Truth of 4, Ajira's action is an innocent success 2.
The GM says that Ajira's athletic prowess pays off as she rushes forward at an incredible speed and tackles the spy. Ash chooses the Secret Innocence, in the hopes of discerning something helpful about her efforts. The GM informs Ash that the spy might be talked out of a confrontation.
3) Ash says that Ajira is attempting to calm the spy and get him to talk rather than turn violent. The GM rules this as a contested action resolved with a beauty test with a TN of eight, again equal to the spy's PN. Ash rolls two dice, getting 3 and 1. Ash judges the 3 Light and the 1 Truth. Ash adds her beauty to her Light for a total of 5AP. With an AP less than or equal to the TN and a Truth of 1, Ajira's action is a guilty failure 3.
The GM says that Ajira's words fail to make an impact on the the spy, and what is more, the spy has managed to lead Ajira into an narrow ally far from the crowds where two of the spy's friends step out of the shadow as a Reveal Guilt. Ajira slowly rises to her feet, and gets ready for a fight...
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