The core roll used in Futile Kingdoms is the Deviation Roll (DR), or Dice Roll (DR) for the uninitiated.
Examples:
| Red | White | DR |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4 | -3 |
| 6 | 5 | +5 |
| 2 | 2 | 0 |
Unless expressly prohibited, every DR can Explode. On a Result of -5 or +5, the player performing the roll may choose to roll another DR and add the Results together. This can occur multiple times.
Whenever the outcome of a roll wouldn't make a difference without Exploding Dice, it is up to the rolling player whether to roll at all.
To perform a Check, roll a DR and apply modifiers according to the situation. The Result (R) is the sum of the DR and all modifiers.
Usually you need R>0 to succeed and fail on R<0. R=0 is normally a draw or close failure, but can be a close success in specific situations.
Modifiers depend on the situation and usually include some character and opposition stats. Many rules suggest specific modifiers. In less formal situations, it is up to the GM to determine appropriate modifiers, including an arbitrary Difficulty.
Sometimes, characters pit certain Virtues, Expertise scores or other qualities against each other. That's called a Contest, e.g. a Contest of Sagacity to see who is smarter. Contests can have 2 or more participants.
Each participant calculates his Result by determining his score and adding a single d6. Each time you roll a 6, you may voluntarily explode by adding another d6 and subtracting 3 recursively. Luck may be spent to reroll.
The highest Result wins by a margin equal to the difference to the next Result. Ties are literal draws unless defined otherwise, or rerolled if necessary.
The probability distribution of a DR is the same as for a traditional 2d6 roll.
The following table can be helpful for players to gauge their odds and GMs to determine Difficulty:
| # | DR = # (%) | DR > # (%) | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| -6 | 0 | 100. | automatic |
| -5 | 2.78 | 97.2 | trivial |
| -4 | 5.56 | 91.7 | routine |
| -3 | 8.33 | 83.3 | easy |
| -2 | 11.1 | 72.2 | straightforward |
| -1 | 13.9 | 58.3 | moderate |
| 0 | 16.7 | 41.7 | challenging |
| +1 | 13.9 | 27.8 | difficult |
| +2 | 11.1 | 16.7 | ambitious |
| +3 | 8.33 | 8.33 | precarious |
| +4 | 5.56 | 2.78 | heroic |
| +5 | 2.78 | 0 | desperate |
DR in the rules text refers to the roll as described above. On some occasions, more traditional methods are used and referred to by their conventional abbreviations.
Example: 2d6 means rolling two six-sided dice and adding them together.