Framework for Resolving Conflicts
Since Anomaly is a setting agnostic game system, Anomaly itself details a framework to follow when resolving conflicts in game. Conflicts because there is more to life then fighting. Conflicts include fighting, crafting, exploration, debates, and so on. Anomaly lays out a general framework to resolve all of these with additional guidelines for each to refine the experience.
At the core is player agency. Players control characters and can make their characters perform tasks. To make a character do a task, the player in charge of the character declares that the character attempts the task. If accomplishing the task is easy, and nothing is trying to stop them, then they successfully accomplish the task.
Resolving Difficult Tasks
If the task is challenging, or if someone is trying to stop them from succeeding, they must roll dice and compare their roll to the difficulty.
If the task is difficult because of the nature of the task, such as trying to scale a cliff, the GM determines the appropriate difficulty. This is most often a multiple of 3. The player makes a roll and compares it to the difficulty. If the player's roll is not higher than the difficulty, they do not succeed.
If the task is difficult because someone is trying to stop them, the character trying to stop them must roll. That roll becomes the difficulty. For example, if one character is attacking another character who defends them-self, the defender's roll establishes the difficulty for the attacker.
Rolls - A d10 Based System
A roll consists of at least one d10 and modifiers. If you roll multiple d10's, you do not add them together. You will instead take the highest or the lowest of the rolled dice depending on the nature of the additional d10's, then add that number to the modifiers.
Conditional Dice
Good Dice are additional dice where you keep the highest rolled value. Bad Dice are additional dice where you keep the lowest rolled value. Good dice and bad dice cancel each other out. Good Dice and Bad Dice are called Conditional Dice. If a roll is affected by external conditions, it will usually grant good or Bad Dice rather than a modifier. For example, if you are attacking someone who has fewer weapons than you do, you claim a Good Die on your attack.
Your character is attacking with a pair of daggers. Your target only has one dagger.
You get 1 Good Dice for the attacks. Each attack you will roll 2 dice and keep the highest value.
In another instance, your character is fighting an opponent that has the high ground.
You get 1 Bad Dice for all attacks while this is true. Each attack you roll 2 dice and must take the lowest value.
If the two situations are combined, where your character has two daggers against an opponent with only one but that opponent has the high ground, You receive no conditional dice for those attacks.
Modifiers
Modifiers are different from Good Dice and Bad Dice, because they add directly to the roll's results. Modifiers come in many kinds. Two modifiers of the same kind do not add to the same roll unless otherwise stated. Applicable modifiers of different kinds will always stack. For example, you always add an attribute modifier and a gear modifier to a damage roll. You will probably never add two attribute modifiers to the same damage roll.
The most common types of modifiers are: Size, Attributes, Skills, Knowledge, and Gear.
- Size refers to the size of a character.
- Attributes are a character's physical capabilities.
- Skills are how accurately characters can perform a type of task.
- Knowledge is how much a character knows about things.
- Gear is how well the equipment you are using is suited for the task you are using it for.
More details for each kind of modifier can be found in the character section of this chapter.