Essay Roll
Play Vocabulary
To essay something is to try to do it. One essays to leap across the stream, for example.
Almost every dice roll that represents a particular character's attempt to do something is technically an 'essay roll'. or simply an 'essay'.
In contrast, the Game Master rolling the dice secretly to determine the nature of the upcoming shift in the weather is not an essay role (unless you want to discuss metaphysics).
An essay roll is used when one is attempting an activity with no sure chance of success. Dice are used to resolve the action. The rule of the Deus is the roll of the dice. If the sum of the dice rolls and relevant situational bonuses meet or exceed the Difficulty of the task (if it is of fixed, absolute difficulty), or beat an Opposed Roll by another entity or mechanism or spell, then your essay is a success.
An essay roll (depending on the Play Type) is...
- [dBase] + [(d)Vital] + relevant bonuses or augmentations
... or ...
- [dBody] + [(d)Vital] + relevant bonuses or augmentations
... or ...
- [dPower] + [(d)Vital] + relevant bonuses or augmentations
- [dAgility] + [(d)Vital] + relevant bonuses or augmentations
- ... ( if using inverse scaling for agility-based activities )
Note that 'augmentations' may include an optional use of will (ie. willpower), which requires the spending of mana points before taking the action in the hope of increasing it's success (and in this, is similar to spellcasting).
See also: