[GM Aid] Evaluate the Difficulty

[Jade]

Hello,

I am new as GM (I will run my 3rd game only), and have some difficulties to evaluate the difficulty level to assign to each Player action.

So, I have created an Excel file which calculate the probabilities for different results, and want to share it with you.



Attribute 1 & 2 are fixed to 3 to calculate probabilities for an Average character, but it is possible to change it to know the probabilities for your character. You can also add bonuses (like traits, or coop bonuses) in the "Other Bonuses field".
Then set the difficulty.

The field "Score to reach" corresponds to [ the difficulty level - sum of attributes and bonuses ], the score to reach with the dice roll to succeed.

Then, in the table below, there are the scores windows for each success or failure level, with the probabilities to roll this. I consider that a double 6 is always a critical success (and so a fantastic one), and a double 1 is always a critical failure (and a disastrous one).
The graph shows the probabilities in a "Camembert".


This useful xls allows me to know which difficulty I should give to something I think quite hard but not much, for example, and which probabilities correspond to each difficulty, depending on my players stats

Attachments:

[misterharry]

I like this - have some karma.

Only one question - are the calculations for Bad and Disastrous results the wrong way round?

[Jade]

I am not sure to understand what you mean... ?

[misterharry]

Actually, I'm now wondering whether I'm misunderstanding Difficulties.

For somebody with average attributes of 3 and no other bonuses, trying to succeed at a Difficulty of 12, they need to roll:

For a Fantastic result: 15 or more, for a total of 21 or more (not possible - so should be zero % in your spreadsheet)
For a Good result: 10-14, totalling 16-20
For a basic Success: 6-9, totalling 12-15
For a basic Failure: 3-5, totalling 9-11
For a Bad failure: -1 to 2, totalling 5-8 (only possible if double 1s rolled)
For a Disastrous failure: -2 or less, totalling 4 or less (not possible - so should be zero % in the spreadsheet)

Do you read a roll of double 1s as an automatic Disastrous result, and double 6s as an automatic Fantastic result?

I think I'm confusing myself now!!!

[Jade]

I am not sure if it is said in any GM guide for DW games, but I consider that a double 6 is automatically a critical success (so a fantastic one), and a double 1 is automatically a critical fail (so a disastrous one).

This adds a very little chance to succeed even if the character is naturally good in what he's doing, or to fail even if he's very good at it.


Considering that those are not critical success or failure would simplify the calculation rules for the table.
I should add a field "Critical success/failure", which modify the table regarding if we want or not to include the idea of critical roll

[Jade]

I have just made some change in my xls.

Now you can choose if you consider double 6s and double 1s as critical, and automatically Fantastic/Disastrous, or not (depending on the way you play it).
The results will change regarding this.

I upload the new xls file with this post

Attachments:

[misterharry]

Thanks - I think I'll be using this a lot.

[da professor]

Good stuff. Thanks for doing it, so techtards like me don't have to. KARMA.

[stahlman]

Thank you :this is very useful and informative-I will use this all the time.