Idea borrowed from a few tabletop rules: Instead of characters rolling dice for “success or failure,” allow the player’s stated intention for the character’s action to alway work, but the dice roll measures consequences – a bit like the “7 to 9” result in Powered By The Apocalypse games. Put the story agency back on the players. Offer them the choice to suffer the cost or describe why their characters’ actions didn’t work as intended.
When the dice roll shows a (non-critical) failure, “Your character succeeds but…”
- result is less effective (half damage, half duration, lock damaged)
- the action costs extra resources (gold, ammunition, magic power, health/hit points)
- the action causes the character to become exhausted, fatigued, or otherwise stat-hindered
- a tool, weapon, or piece of gear breaks during the attempt, limiting future actions
- the action takes significantly more time (such as adding 1d6 rounds, 3d6 minutes, etc.)
- the action is loud, messy, or otherwise conspicuous to NPCs nearby or surveillance
- the action takes additional focus, causing disadvantage on notice or dodge rolls until next round/turn
- the action triggers a new problem (hidden trap, enemy reinforcements, heightened suspicion)
- a nearby ally or valuable object suffers harm (i.e. stray shot hits teammate)
- the attempt uses excessive force that destroys treasure, evidence, or the surrounding structure
- witnesses to the action tell enemies or spread negative rumors about character’s abilities or tactics (reputation cost)
- only partial success, but an NPC offers to help get complete success in exchange for a payment (bribe, favor, etc.)
- the result isolates one member of the party/splits the party
- success requires a morally dubious choice or value compromise (betray an ally, reveal a secret, sacrifice an innocent, act dishonorably or exploit a target’s weakness, help an enemy)
- success also helps benefit an enemy (reveals a secret, drops something useful to them)
- only succeeds if another adjacent ally uses an action/round to help
- starts an environmental hazard (starts a fire, electrical shorts out other systems)
- the effect is short-lived (trap or alarm only disabled for one round), and will become more difficult when attempted again later
- a flashback or painful memory of a similar past failure causes the character to suffer distraction/disadvantage for the next 1d4 rounds/turns
- the result triggers a bizarre magical side effect (unwelcome attention from a spirit, strange physical changes, recurring nightmares, shifts in local weather or nature)
- the result causes knockback, sending the character a distance backwards and knocked prone
- the result has a lingering effect (disease, taint to aura, scar)
Questions to ask a player about the results of a dice roll, for successes…
- “What does this success look like? Describe how your character pulls it off.”
- “What subtle flourish or detail does your character add to show their skill?”
- “What’s the first thing your character notices after succeeding? How does the environment or the people around them react?”
- “Does this success create an opportunity for someone else, or does it shift the focus to a new problem?”
- “Is there a moment where your character thought it might fail? How did they recover?”
- “How does your character feel after succeeding? Is it relief, pride, or something else?”
- “Was your character confident they would succeed, or were they surprised by the outcome?”
- “Does this success make your character more determined, or do they feel like they’ve just dodged a bullet?”
- “Does your character gain any insights or learn something unexpected during their success?”
- “Does this success affirm your character’s belief in themselves or challenge their doubts?”
- “What does this success mean for your character’s relationships with the people involved?”
…or failures:
- “What went wrong in your character’s approach? Was it a miscalculation, bad luck, or something else?”
- “Does your character blame themselves or something external for the failure?”
- “What small detail or oversight might have made the difference between success and failure?”
- “How does your character feel about failing? Are they frustrated, determined, or apathetic?”
- “What’s going through their mind at the moment they realize it didn’t work?”
- “Does this failure remind your character of a past event or mistake?”
- “How does this failure affect your character’s confidence or approach moving forward?”
- “Does your character see this as a sign to change tactics, or do they double down on their original plan?”
- “What’s the first thing your character does after failing? Do they apologize, explain, or silently brood?”
- “How does the environment or the people around them react to this failure?”
- “Does this failure create an unexpected change in the situation, like drawing attention or opening up a new challenge?”
- “What ripple effects does this failure have for the group or for the story?”