Post by mograg on Aug 23, 2023 21:39:53 GMT
Hi all, big fan of Raiders of the Lost Artifacts! But I am confused on how Skills work and need help. The book says:
"When the Referee determines
that a Skill might be useful in a given situation, the player should roll a D20 and
compare the result to their Skill plus whatever Attribute modifier applies (which is
listed for each Skill.) If they meet or exceed that number, they succeed at the task."
That's where I get stumped: How does the Skill make a difference in meeting or exceeding the difficulty number? I can see how attribute modifiers add (or subtract) to the D20 roll, but not how the skills also play a part.
For example, let's say I have two characters, both with an Intelligence modifier of +2. They're looking at the remains of what they suspect to be a Loch Ness Monster. To confirm that it is indeed a lake monster specimen, they must make a skill roll. Importantly, one of the characters has the Cryptozoology skill, while the other does not.
For the character with the Cryptozoology skill, how does that combine with the D20 roll and the attribute modifier to make that character "better than" the other character who lacks the Cryptozoology skill?
As far as I can tell, Skills don't have ranks that add to the attribute modifier bonus, so I'm not understanding how they are applied to increase chances of success.
Is it that - if the optional Skill system is employed - only characters who have a skill can make a roll? What about an unskilled character who would also like to make an attempt?
Or is it that each time a skill is selected, that character gets +1 to the roll? So someone who selects "Cryptozoology" three times gets +3 to their Cryptozoology skill roll, while someone without the skill does not get any skill bonus (but could benefit from an attribute modifier).
Can someone set me straight on how the skill system is intended to work?
Many thanks!
"When the Referee determines
that a Skill might be useful in a given situation, the player should roll a D20 and
compare the result to their Skill plus whatever Attribute modifier applies (which is
listed for each Skill.) If they meet or exceed that number, they succeed at the task."
That's where I get stumped: How does the Skill make a difference in meeting or exceeding the difficulty number? I can see how attribute modifiers add (or subtract) to the D20 roll, but not how the skills also play a part.
For example, let's say I have two characters, both with an Intelligence modifier of +2. They're looking at the remains of what they suspect to be a Loch Ness Monster. To confirm that it is indeed a lake monster specimen, they must make a skill roll. Importantly, one of the characters has the Cryptozoology skill, while the other does not.
For the character with the Cryptozoology skill, how does that combine with the D20 roll and the attribute modifier to make that character "better than" the other character who lacks the Cryptozoology skill?
As far as I can tell, Skills don't have ranks that add to the attribute modifier bonus, so I'm not understanding how they are applied to increase chances of success.
Is it that - if the optional Skill system is employed - only characters who have a skill can make a roll? What about an unskilled character who would also like to make an attempt?
Or is it that each time a skill is selected, that character gets +1 to the roll? So someone who selects "Cryptozoology" three times gets +3 to their Cryptozoology skill roll, while someone without the skill does not get any skill bonus (but could benefit from an attribute modifier).
Can someone set me straight on how the skill system is intended to work?
Many thanks!
