Dungeons of Olde

Trashing old-school dungeons, one tile at a time!

Challenges Reference

This page presents summarized rules and tables for resolving challenges in Dungeons of Olde.

Check Rolls

To attempt a challenge, a character makes a Check roll, throwing two exploding Stat Dice for the Stat or Skill used in the challenge, then adding or subtracting any adjustments. The result is compared to a the challenge rating (CR) for the challenge. If the result equals or exceeds the challenge rating, the attempt is successful; if the result is less than the challenge rating, the attempt fails.

Challenges
Rank Rating
Trivial 3
Easy 6
Moderate 9
Hard 12
Heroic 15
Superhuman 18
Godly 21
Making an Attempt
  1. GM determines the difficulty of the challenge (Challenge Rating, or CR) and the Stat or Skill necessary to attempt it.
  2. The character attempting the challenge makes a Check roll using that Stat or Skill.
  3. If the Check roll succeeds or fails by 3 or more points, he may experience an exceptional result—see Critical Outcomes.
Critical Outcomes

If a hero succeeds or fails a Check by a wide margin, he may experience a critical outcome. Critical outcomes are measured in ranks of success or failure, each rank requiring an additional margin of 3 points above or below the challenge rating for the attempt. The gamemaster will determine the exact nature of a exceptional success or failure.

Critical outcomes in combat have specific affects; see the Combat Critical Outcomes table.

Critical Outcomes
Check Roll vs.
Challenge Rating
Ranks Category Outcome Character Points
Awarded
+9 or more 4 or more Legendary Success Major bonus 2
+6 to +8 3 or more Critical Success Two minor bonuses 1
+3 to +5 2 Solid Success Minor bonus 0
0 to +2 1 Success Simple success 0
-1 to -2 1 Failure Simple failure 0
-3 to -5 2 Decisive Failure Minor penalty 0
-6 to -8 3 Critical Failure Two minor penalties 1
-9 or more 4 or more Catastrophic Failure Major penalty 2
Rivals by David Lewis Johnson
Opposed Attempts

A challenge that acts directly against another character is an opposed attempt.

  1. GM determines the Skill or Stat the target of the attempt will use to resist the attempt.
  2. Target rolls two exploding Stat dice for the Stat or Skill used oppose the challenge, resolving any exploding dice, then adding or subtracting any adjustments to the total.
  3. The instigator of the attempt makes a Check roll, using the result of the target's roll as the challenge rating.
  4. If the instigator's roll equals or exceeds the target's roll, the opposed attempt is successful; if not, the opposed attempt fails.
  5. Exceptional outomes may apply opposed attempts, at the gamemaster's discretion.
Assisted Attempts

A character may try to assist an ally attempting a challenge.

  1. The assistant makes Check roll, using the instigator's Stat or Skill as the challenge rating.
  2. For every rank of success in the attempt to assist, the instigator may add one to the Check roll in his own attempt.
  3. If the assistant fails his Check roll by two or more ranks, the instigator takes a penalty on his Check roll equal to the number of failure ranks the assistant rolled, minus 1.
  4. Assistants earn experience for exceptional outcomes on attempts to assist.