Real quick query to assess and explore.

Imagine a challenge and the mechanic to handle the test.

Core idea is to go pool or single die.

Pool: skill of 1-3 at start. Throw this number of d6. Each 4-5 is one success. Each 6 is two successes. Most challenge levels are 1 success. Some are two. Tough ones are three. And so on. This is similar to the core system of the US Wrath & Glory.

Die: same skill numbers at start. Throw d6 and add rating. Most challenge ratings are 7 to succeed. 8 for hard. 9+ for tough stuff. (Easy part: know that your skill 3 succeeds 50%. A natural 6 is a 5 and roll again (perhaps, or we set most challenges to 6 target, so a 3 succeeds at 66%).

Which do you like more?

Pool

Die

Who's the target player?

There are numerous board games that use this dice pool system (Betrayal at...) but they are not regular d6s and instead have 0, 1, or 2 pips = 0, 1, 2 successes. It's super easy for casual players to learn. The numerical probabilities are not obvious to calculate, but they are intuitive. It is immediately obvious when you roll if you've succeeded or not.

d6+skill vs target number requires arithmetic. Even basic arithmetic can throw people off. Dice + skill vs target number works better if you're using d10, d20, or d% because those are easier to calculate odds mentally. It just easier to count by 10%, 5%, or 1% in your head than 16.67%

So, I would favor the dice pool, as long as skill doesn't got crazy high like 10 or something. Rolling 10 dice can be a chore.

Upper edge is likely 4.  There are 16 skills. The system uses a "balanced advancement" method and usually only one skill is at 3 to start. Then typically there are 6 skills at 2, the rest at 1

So dice pools won't exceed 6-7 once certain bonus factor in.

Nice idea on using icons to create cool dice for the pool.

Quote from: soundchaser on December 03, 2020, 11:34:57 AM
Real quick query to assess and explore.

Imagine a challenge and the mechanic to handle the test.

Core idea is to go pool or single die.

Pool: skill of 1-3 at start. Throw this number of d6. Each 4-5 is one success. Each 6 is two successes. Most challenge levels are 1 success. Some are two. Tough ones are three. And so on. This is similar to the core system of the US Wrath & Glory.

Die: same skill numbers at start. Throw d6 and add rating. Most challenge ratings are 7 to succeed. 8 for hard. 9+ for tough stuff. (Easy part: know that your skill 3 succeeds 50%. A natural 6 is a 5 and roll again (perhaps, or we set most challenges to 6 target, so a 3 succeeds at 66%).

Dice pool. But please please PLEASE ~ limit it to 7 dice! 5 is the sweet-spot for me...

Interesting. 5 as sweet spot.

Curious as to the issue of math versus a less transparent odds issue. Perhaps it's just "feel" in the way of "more will be better" in the pool?

Quote from: soundchaser on December 08, 2020, 09:15:31 AM
Interesting. 5 as sweet spot.

Curious as to the issue of math versus a less transparent odds issue. Perhaps it's just "feel" in the way of "more will be better" in the pool?

I find anything over 7D6 to be a mess with players. Mainly, someone always has to do the addition. Usually myself. Also, this: https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/25470/variance-dice-sums
I tend to lean toward players not being able to completely know the odds, makes the game a bit more exciting. Of course, I'm terrible at maths! So, I barely understand what is being discussed, but I don't see much of an issue with a reasonable cap. (We once lost 12 dice out of 5 players and 1 GM during a WEG Star Wars session! That's another reason for avoiding 1001 D6s!) 

Makes sense. I teach undergraduate students statistics, econometrics, and Multivariate. Most people are not savvy with the math. And probability is a deep end topic ... some tread water there. Most sink.

So I like to hear of what is fun and doable... due to the curse of knowledge. (It is a gentle reminder that most people haven't taught a stats class for 30 years).