Narrative Rules

Narrative rules determine how the game is played outside of combat. For the most part, this will consist of roleplay between the DM and the players, but occasionally you may use your dice and your attributes to attempt to do things in characters. Below are the systems Guild House uses to make these interactions rewarding and fun.

## Skill Checks

A skill check is exactly what it sounds like, a check to see if your character has the skill necessary to do something. Determined by your attributes, your vocations, and your luck, skill checks create a sense of unpredictability within role play and give players a way to use their character sheets in the world of the game outside of combat.

### Attribute

Every check has an associated Attribute, which the player adds to their roll. The player describes the situation, and the GM decides which attribute this roll should pertain to.

### Advantage

When a roll has Advantage, roll an extra d20 and use the highest result. Though uncommon, you can have Double Advantage, in which case roll 3d20 and take the highest result.

You are granted Advantage for the following reasons:

* One of your Vocations implies that you would have skills which would give you an edge in this check.
* There are external circumstances which give you a distinct benefit in the check.
* You are attempting a check that isn’t very difficult.

### Disadvantage

You have Disadvantage for the following reasons:

* You are attempting something very difficult or on the verge of unreasonable.
* You are attempting something very risky.
* There are external circumstances which are making this check relatively harder.

## The Trinary Check Resolution System

1-10  = Failure

11-15 = Success at a Cost (more on definition of Success at a Cost later)

16+ = Success

A Failure means the action fails, a Success means the action goes the way the player expects it to.

### What is Success At A Cost?

Basically, anything the GM decides what is less than what the player wants to happen.

Some ideas:

* Success that drains resources
* Success that drains Health
* Success with a consequence
* It takes longer to complete
* A Partial Success, Partial Failure
* A dilemma
* An ominous piece of information.
* A minor physical or emotional injury that causes no damage or stat reduction
* A damaged relationship

If the GM cannot determine a reasonable consequence (For example the check is an aside to the plot with very little consequence) then the check is ruled as a success. However, a partial success could have ANY consequence, even so much as the player making the check is feeling frustrated.

## Investigations

For the sake of furthering the story, it doesn’t make sense for the players to miss a vital clue or piece of information that is required for the story to progress. Therefore, the Party always uncovers the important clue, but an investigation check determines any additional hints they receive.

Whenever a player wishes to investigate a crime scene, mysterious location, or a person, the GM chooses whether they roll an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma check. Only ONE member of the party can make the Investigation Check per investigatable thing (room, person).

Intelligence: Examining a scene of the crime, solving a puzzle, trying to deduce something from the evidence you know \*Currently, there is no vocation that would really gain advantage from this other than it would be a problem similar to what they’ve faced before\*

Wisdom: Searching a room, looking for small details, scanning a large area, observing a person. \*Scout might have advantage if it involves scanning a large area\* \*Other Vocations can have advantage if the location they are searching is something familiar to their Vocation\*

Charisma: Interrogating or questioning a person. \*Interrogator would have advantage, Trickster might if they are trying to deceive someone into divulging information\*

10 or less, the party uncovers the clue.

11-15, the party uncovers the clue and gains one hint or minor hint

16+, the party uncovers the clue and gains two hints or a major hint

A clue can be a piece of information or object that furthers the story. Based on the result of their role, the party may uncover additional hints for free. If the GM can’t think of more than one hint to give the players, then at least give them a hint on an 11+