A Hilariously Terrible Dice System

[Amechra]

Alright folks! This system is really easy - whenever you need to roll something, you roll 3d6+1dB. What's a 1dB, you ask? Roll a backgammon doubling cube and halve the results.

You get a basic success if you roll between 8 and 28 or a 41 and 44. You get a great success if you roll between 10 and 18. Crits happen whenever you roll between 11 and 16.

Just don't roll a 4, 34, 35, or 50, though - that's how you critically fail.

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Seriously, though, look at the graph. It makes me giggle.

[Bjarkmundur]

It's too early for this man

So critical fails are the unlikeliest result and great successes are the likeliest results? I feel like I might be good at this game xD

[Amechra]

It's too early for this man

So critical fails are the unlikeliest result and great successes are the likeliest results? I feel like I might be good at this game xD

Pretty much.

I'm not sure how the skill/stat system would work... maybe you get to reroll one or more of the d6s? It has to be janky and unintuitive, is the thing.

[Bjarkmundur]

It has to be janky and unintuitive, is the thing.

looool

• You get to halve or duplicate the result of a number of d6s equal to your ability modifier (maximum 3).
• If your Ability Modifier is equal to or higher than the Difficulty Modifier, you can make one attempt to change the result of your B-dice by blowing really hard on it, causing it to tumble.
• You can use a skill point to challenge the DM in order to change your roll into a critical success. The DM sets up a stopwatch. Your goal is to guess exactly when the stopwatch reaches 20 seconds. If you guess one second early or late, your roll remains unchanged. If you guess two seconds early or late, your roll changes into a critical failure. The goal lowers by 5 seconds for each skill point you use to initiate the challenge.

[Chimera245]

I can't help but wonder if I've accidentally contributed to this...

Naturally, the 34-35 crit fumble should reverse into a crit success only for attacks involving spears and lances, and for buffs cast from a staff.

[GaelofDarkness]

OK, this system is a work of art.

I think we all know that one person who is insufferable because of how much better they THINK they understand the statistics than everyone else at the table. This is 100% being sprung on them with a "HoW cAn yOu NoT bE GeTTinG tHiS!?". That rule about blowing on the doubling cube is ABSOLUTELY going to be used.

...

Though that 1dB now has me unironically considering incorporating exponentials or dare I say factorials as some kind of critical mechanic... This is could be very bad.

[Amechra]

Ah-ha!

"Before you roll to do something, stop to ask yourself 'Is my character an expert at this?' If they are, choose one of the six-sided dice and set it to whatever value you choose before rolling. Do not set the dBackgammon - it is too enlightened for the likes of you!"

A master would get to set two dice with their fancy knowledge. The thing is, there's probably a correct answer as to what value you'd want to set things to... which is why spear and lance attacks invert crits. And why different abilities should force a reroll of specific numbers... but not the same number each time.

Of course, if the Winds of Fate favor you, you can blow on the dBackgammon. That's just common sense.

[theVoidWatches]

Might be a little off-topic as it has little to do with new dice systems, but it seems relevant for "hilariously terrible rpg mechanics" - reddit user u/volkovoy's Spelljammer Initiative system (warning that viewing in chrome may be messed up as homebrewing hasn't been updated in a long time)