Test of Traits
Posted on February 22, 2009
Filed Under Crunch | Tags: Alternate Rules
This is something I’ve been working over in my brain for some time, this is an early draft…I’m looking for feedback and suggestions.
—–
Byrd sat across the table from the large Keltic man, he had been enjoying a few tankards of ale with the man, but time was running short. He needed the information and he needed it now, but the Kelt was forthcoming. Time to set aside the pleasantries and get down to business…let the verbal sparring begin.
Normally a trait test consists of a single roll in order to determine success or failure. A Test of Traits is a series of rolls required in order to succeed at a complex or time consuming task. A Test of Traits has two separate components, the Test Difficulty and Traits and Targets.
Test Difficulty
In order to complete the task at hand, those involved must successfully use an attribute or skill a number of times before failing a set number of times. The following table shows the number of successes or failures based upon the desired difficulty.
|
Difficulty |
Successes | Failures |
| Easy | 3 | 2 |
| Difficult | 5 | 3 |
| Challenging | 7 | 4 |
| Formidable | 9 | 5 |
If the number of successes is reached prior to rolling the listed number of failures, the task is completed.
Traits and Targets
Each task at hand will have certain attributes and skills that are appropriate for the task at hand. These, as well as the difficulty of the Target Number must be determined when designing a Test of Traits.
Dynamic Target Numbers
Savage Worlds uses a stagnant Target Number of 4 to resolve all trait tests and applies modifiers depending upon difficulty. The modifiers to this roll range from +2 to something trivial to –2 or –4, for particularly difficult tasks. It is often useful to think of a task at hand as being “easy”, “difficult”, or “impossible” instead of trying to apply a numerical modifier. This does not affect the rules in any way, just the thought process over assigning modifiers for tasks.
Instead of modifiers, the following chart is used to assign target numbers based upon the difficulty of a task; one category, “trivial”, not shown here consists of tasks that are so simple that they don’t require a trait test. These tasks are typically just worked into a scene’s narrative or hand-waved by the game master.
| Difficulty | Target Number |
| Easy | 2 |
| Normal | 4 |
| Difficult | 6 |
| Challenging | 8 |
| Formidable | 10 |
| “Impossible” | 12 |
Example
In the opening narrative a character (Byrd) is trying to pry some information out of a non-player character. He is trying to use his wit, charm and knowledge to loosen his tongue. At some point the player will be informed that he must complete a Test of Traits.
The player should not be told what Attributes are applicable; he should determine what to do on his own. In addition, the rolls should be made during the course of roleplaying the encounter, bonuses (or penalties) to the trait rolls should be awarded as warranted.
Test of Traits
Difficult Test – 5 successes required before 3 failures; the following Attributes are in play.
Intimidation (TN = 10)
The Keltic adversary is not very susceptible to be pushed around, the target number required to intimidate the man into talking is a formidable task.
Knowledge (TN = 6)
Byrd can attempt to use his own knowledge of the situation to get his adversary talking, this is a difficult task.
Persuasion (TN = 4)
The easiest course of action in this instance is to simply try to talk the information out of the Kelt with wit and charisma, this is a normal task.
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I’m guess you meant that the Kelt was not forthcoming (which makes more sense in context).
Would I be correct in assuming that every raise on a Trait roll would count as an additional success?
You might also want to rule that a snake eyes counts as two failures.