Attributes, Skills, and Backgrounds

Dungeon Tactics uses a fairly simple resolution system for noncombat and skill-related tasks that should look pretty familiar to anyone who plays RPGs.

Characters in DT have a set of five attributes: Strength, Agility, Wisdom, Perception, and Poise. Each attribute has a numerical score, usually between 0 and 10. Whenever a character needs to perform a difficult task, his or her player rolls a d20 and adds the appropriate attribute score to the result. The result is compared to Difficulty Score of the task to determine whether the character achieved a failure, a complication, or a success. On a failure, the character does not succeed in accomplishing whatever task they had set out to attempt, while on a success they do accomplish the task with no difficulties. A complication means that the character succeeded at the task, but not without a small problem.

For example, Uthgar the Bold is attempting to leap a wide chasm. His player would roll a d20 and add Uthgar's strength score. If a failure is scored, Uthgar doesn't make it across the chasm, and is left hanging to the ledge with one hand. If a success is scored, Uthgar easily clears the expanse and sticks the landing, battleaxe at the ready. If a complication is scored, Uthgar might make it all the way across, but fall prone on the other side.

Skills
In addition to their attribute scores, characters also have a short list of skills, or areas in which they have some specialized training. Whenever you make an attribute check for a trained skill, you roll an additional d20 and choose the highest result.

Adding an extra roll rather than a numerical bonus works well for several reasons. It does allow trained characters to be more competent than untrained characters by giving the trained character a greater chance at success. However, it doesn't change the potential range of results, so that training in a skill does not determine whether it is possible to succeed at all. Players shouldn't be put into situations where they feel like it's not even worth it to try. Incorporating a second roll also helps mitigate some of the 'luck factor' and means that trained characters will not only perform better but also perform more consistently.