Basic Mechanic for CN: Ascend, Redux II

I am really excited about this version.  I think I have nailed the style and tone, and simplified the approach enough to be there.  Just a few more whittles, and the first subsection is finis!

Stories revolve around conflict. Game play in Ascend is driven by resolving a story's conflicts in entertaining and sometimes unexpected ways. All conflict is played out using the same Basic Mechanic whether it is the dance of swordplay, a duel of wits, a negotiated settlement, or a war of ideas between two Heroes, or even within the Hero herself.

Tests are made to resolve both conflicts and single actions within a conflict. The matter at stake during a conflict may be a simple affair, requiring a simple Test of Skill. Other conflicts form the basis of legends, the struggle monumental. For times like these, conflicts can be extended into multiple Tests representing a single action or line of reasoning.

The two most common types of Tests are Tests of Skill and Tests of Conviction. The difference between the two is what is being Tested. Tests of Skill are called upon to resolve conflicts involving physical, mental or social prowess. Tests of Conviction are often internal struggles, conflicts between Heroes, or acts of desperation when a Hero risks it all.

Tests comprise of four parts. The Hero or Adversary provides the Skill or Conviction being Tested. The Storyteller or Player may provide Difficulty representing complication and opposition. Traits, Backgrounds and Aids provide opportunities for Success. Finally, Ascend uses dice to add a random element.

Randomness enables suspense and drama. Crisis of faith, triumph from desperation, the sundering of bonds, the deepening of companionship are some of the unexpected storytelling created by randomness. Most importantly, random results give Players the opportunity to define that which is most fundamental to their Heroes. And that which can sacrificed.

The dice used in Ascend are ten sided dice, also known as d10's. These dice are commonly used in games, and usually have of a range of numbers from 0 to 9. In many games the 0 is used to represent the number ten, but in Ascend the 0 is used to represent zero. Multiple d10's are rolled at the same time, and this collection of dice is a Dice Pool. A number, when it appears, in front of “d10” indicates the size of a Dice Pool.

Example: Susan is rolling a Dice Pool of 5d10. Therefore she rolls 5 ten sided dice.

To roll a Test a Player determines what is being tested, sometimes with the input of the Storyteller. Most commonly the Test will be of Skill or Conviction. Skills are training in broad areas of expertise required to complete related tasks. Convictions are deeply held beliefs and motivations. The Rating of a Skill or Conviction determines the Target, the number each individual d10 of the Dice Pool must be equal to or be lower than to count as a Success.

Example: Jayme's Hero is making a Stealth Test, and has a Rating of 2 in Stealth. Therefore the Target of the Test is 2. Jayme rolls the number of d10's in his Dice Pool and any die that comes up a 0, 1, or 2 count as a Success.

Sometimes a Test is opposed or has complications. The Game Master or Player providing the opposition or complication gives the Difficulty for the Test. The Rating of the Difficulty is subtracted from the Rating of the Skill or Conviction to determine the Target for the Test.

Example: Trent's Hero is making a Persuasion Test to convince the Council. The Council is wary, and the Game Master gives the Test a Difficulty of 2. The Hero's Persuasion is Rated 3, so the Test's Target is the Skill Rating, 3, minus the Difficulty, 2, for a total Target of 1. Only a 0 or a 1 count as a Success when Trent rolls his Dice Pool.

The size of a Dice Pool is determined by Traits, Backgrounds and Aids. Traits represent a Hero's raw talents and characteristics. Backgrounds are a Hero's culture, upbringing and professions. Aids can be nearly anything from Prophesy and Relationships to exemplary Role Playing or items the Hero has. Each Trait, Background and Aid has a Rating. A Player may use one, and only one, of each in a Test. The Ratings of the Trait, Background and/or Aid are added together to determine the number of d10's in the Dice Pool.

Example: Will's Hero is engaged in combat with a Ghost. The Hero has the Trait, Strength, Rated 4, a Background, Exorcist, Rated 2, and an Aid, Soul Blade, rated 3. Will totals his Hero's Trait, Background and Aid, 4 plus 2 plus 3, for a total Dice Pool of 9d10. Will rolls 9 ten sided dice for the Test against the Ghost.

When making a Test, a Player may always opt to briefly Narrate the actions taken by their Hero. If a Hero is particularly vested in the action or conflict, the Player may Narrate a more detailed description. The goal of this Narration is not length, but quality, aiming for a fluidity that Invokes the extraordinary measures taken by the Hero takes. For contributing to the storytelling with this Narration, the Player may use, or Invoke, one additional Trait, Background or Aid in a Test.

Example: Susan's Hero is trying desperately to save a child clinging to a cliff. The Test is of the Hero's Athletics, and Susan is using the Trait Agility, Rated 3, and the Background, Avanus, Rated 1. Avanus is the homeland of her Hero, a place of great heights. She has no Aids that will help her, so she Narrates the mighty leap her Hero makes, clutching the cliff side with one hand as she grabs the child with the other. Doing so, she Invokes her Hero's Strength Trait to use in the Test as well, adding its Rating of 2 to the Dice Pool. The Dice Pool for the Test is now 6d10.

In the most rare and dramatic situations, when a Player's Narration is simultaneously beautiful and appropriate to the challenge, the group may award that Player's Hero. By group consensus, the Player may Invoke two additional Traits, Backgrounds or Aids.