Resolving Checks

Assigning Difficulty

Before rolling, the GM sets the difficulty of the check by adding negative dice to the pool. Most difficulty is expressed in Trial Dice . For especially dangerous or volatile situations, one or more Trial Dice may be upgraded to Crisis Dice , replacing a Trial Die with a Crisis Die.

Difficulty Trial Dice Description
Simple — No check required; success is automatic
Easy Routine tasks with minimal risk
Average Standard challenges under pressure
Hard Demanding tasks requiring real skill
Severe Expert-level challenges
Extreme Near-impossible feats

Reading the Results

After rolling, resolve the pool in this order:

Step 1 — Account for Breakthroughs and Calamities. For each add a to the results pool. For each add a to the results pool. Remove any and from the pool before cancellation. They are resolved in Step 5. Their special effects are never cancelled by any symbol.

Step 2 — Cancel opposing symbols. Each cancels one and vice versa. Each cancels one and vice versa.

Step 3 — Determine Success or Failure. If at least one remains after cancellation, the check succeeds. If no remains, the check fails.

Step 4 — Count net Boons or Banes. Remaining symbols are Boons; remaining symbols are Banes. These represent secondary effects layered onto the primary result.

Step 5 — Apply Breakthroughs and Calamities. Breakthroughs and Calamities trigger their effects regardless of whether the check ultimately succeeds or fails. A Breakthrough on a failed check still produces its special effect. A Calamity on a successful check likewise triggers its effect. These effects are defined by the situation, the GM, or the Universe rules.

Reading Results Quickly
  • Success? Look for net .
  • Secondary texture? Look for net or .
  • Exceptional moment? Look for or . That's the whole read.

Interpreting Boons and Banes

While Universes define specific uses, the following guidelines provide a baseline for interpreting results:

  • 1 Boon — Minor benefit (recover Strain, small positional advantage, +1 to next related check)

  • 2 Boons — Noticeable benefit (assist an ally, gain useful information, reduce time required)

  • 3+ Boons — Significant advantage (alter the scene, bypass a complication, create a lasting benefit)

  • 1 Bane — Minor setback (lose position, suffer Strain, small delay)

  • 2 Banes — Complication (lose resources, expose vulnerability, grant enemy advantage)

  • 3+ Banes — Major complication (introduce new threat, escalate danger, worsen conditions)

These are guidelines, not restrictions. The GM should always interpret results in context.

If no clear narrative use for a Boon is available, spend 1 Boon with no stronger use to recover 1 Strain. This serves as a mechanical floor — Boons should never be wasted.

Ties Fail

A check with no net Successes is a failure, even if no Failures were rolled.

Example Check

A character attempts to climb a crumbling wall under pressure.

Dice pool:

  • 2 Mastery Dice, 1 Ability Die
  • 2 Trial Dice
  • 1 Bane Die (poor conditions)

Roll results:

  • from positive dice
  • from negative dice

Step 1 — No Breakthroughs or Calamities rolled.

Step 2 — Cancel: 2 Successes cancel 1 Failure → 1 Success remains. 1 Boon cancels 1 Bane → none remain.

Step 3 — 1 net Success → the climb succeeds.

Step 4 — No remaining Boons or Banes.

The character successfully climbs the wall without additional benefit or complication.

Breakthrough and Calamity Examples

The following examples clarify how Breakthroughs and Calamities interact with Successes and Failures .

Example 1 — Breakthrough and Failure

Roll:

Step 1 — Handle Breakthrough: Add to the result pool. Remove the

Step 2 — Cancel: The and are removed.

Step 3 — Pending Effects (set aside in Step 1):

Final result: Failure

The Breakthrough’s special effect still triggers, even though the check fails.

Example 2 — Breakthrough and Multiple Failures

Roll:

Step 1 — Handle Breakthrough: Add to the result pool. Remove the

Step 2 — Cancel: The and are removed.

Step 3 — Pending Effects (set aside in Step 1) + remaining symbols: +

Final result: Failure

The Breakthrough effect still triggers, even though the check fails.

Example 3 — Breakthrough and Calamity

Roll:

Step 1 — Handle both: Add to the result pool.

Step 2 — Cancel: The and are removed.

Step 3 — Pending Effects (set aside in Step 1):

Final result: Failure

Both exceptional effects trigger:

  • The Breakthrough produces a significant positive effect
  • The Calamity produces a significant negative effect

This represents a dramatic mixed outcome — something goes very right and very wrong at the same time.

Example 4 — Calamity and Success

Roll:

Step 1 — Handle Calamity: Add to the result pool. Remove the

Step 2 — Cancel: One and one are removed.

Final result: Success

The action succeeds, but the Calamity effect still triggers.

Key Principles

  • A Breakthrough always contributes one Success that may be cancelled, plus a Breakthrough effect that cannot be cancelled
  • A Calamity always contributes one Failure that may be cancelled, plus a Calamity effect that cannot be cancelled
  • Their special effects always trigger, regardless of success or failure
  • If Successes and Failures are equal after all effects are applied, the check fails

Interpreting Results Consistently

Exodus NDS is designed to produce layered outcomes. The GM should always resolve results in the following order of importance:

  1. Did the action succeed or fail?
  2. What secondary effects occurred? (Boons/Banes)
  3. Did anything exceptional happen? (Breakthrough/Calamity)

Each layer should meaningfully affect the outcome. Avoid ignoring any part of the result.