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Die Roller: Last Unicorn Games Systems.

Posted by LonePaladin
LonePaladin
member, 433 posts
Creator of HeroForge
Mon 23 Mar 2015
at 04:41
  • msg #1

Die Roller: Last Unicorn Games Systems

This one might only get limited use, but I don't expect it should be too difficult to code.

There are a few titles released by Last Unicorn Games before they got bought out by WotC. The Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium RPG only got a single print run, and was the last thing the company published. They are best known for a lengthy set of books for the Star Trek series (they covered the original series, TNG, and DS9, each with several supplements). People tend to use the shorthand "LUG" in reference to their work (for instance, "Star Trek DS9 (LUG)).

As I'm going to eventually be running something for the last item there, I'd like to have the die-roller automate their dice mechanic. It happens to be identical across all these titles.

Basically, you roll a number of d6s equal to the attribute relevant to whatever you're doing. (Coordination, for instance, deals with firing a gun.) It will rarely be handling more than half a dozen dice, maybe ten at most. After rolling, you take the single highest die, and add in the bonus for whatever skill is relevant.

In addition, one of the dice rolled is designated a Drama Die. (Online, I'd simply make it the first number rolled.) If that die turns up a 6, you count it as well as the next highest die. If only one die is being rolled, it's automatically the Drama Die -- if it comes up 6, you get to reroll it once, and add the result to the first 6. It makes a success even better, and can even turn a failure into something decent.

If the Drama Die comes up 1, the action taken may be a Dramatic Failure. (Basically, it makes things worse.) So the die-roller needs to point out when that die is a 1, but still give the end result of the roll.

Thus, a 1 or 6 on that Drama Die needs to be pointed out, because it alters the success/failure results.

For now, I'm using Xd6+Y, keep the 1 highest die, report individual dice (so I can see what the first die said).

Some examples.
Standard Roll:
Mike attempts to stab his opponent with a knife. He has Coordination 3, and 2 ranks in Primitive Weaponry. He rolls three dice, getting 5, 4, and 2. He takes the highest result -- 5 -- and adds his skill rank, for a total of 7.

Dramatic Success:
Jim tries to find his car keys. He has Intellect 4, with an Edge of Perception +2, and one rank in the Search skill. He rolls 6 dice, getting 6, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1. Because the Drama Die was a 6, he gets to use that die and the next highest (the 4). His roll of 10 is added to his skill, so his result is 11. If this succeeds, it is counted as a Dramatic Success; if not, it an Acceptable Loss -- he doesn't find his keys, but he does find the remote.

Dramatic Failure:
Paul wants to jury-rig a personal shield. He has Intellect 3, and two ranks in Shield Engineering. He rolls three dice, getting 1, 5, 3. While he uses the highest die -- the 5 -- giving him a total of 7, the 1 on the Drama Die makes things worse. His roll wasn't good enough, so the shield short-circuits in his hands, giving him a nasty burn.

jase
admin, 3425 posts
Cogito, ergo procuro.
Carpe stultus!
Fri 27 Mar 2015
at 01:43

Re: Die Roller: Last Unicorn Games Systems

Moderately simple.  It's on the beta site waiting to be tested.
LonePaladin
member, 435 posts
Creator of HeroForge
Fri 27 Mar 2015
at 08:13
  • msg #3

Re: Die Roller: Last Unicorn Games Systems

Thanks, jase. I just tested about a dozen rolls there, and managed to get all the variations I listed. Seems to work fine.
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