If you're looking for help with unopposed (single) rolls, see the first part of Stat Use.
When you're rolling against someone else, the number you get is relatively meaningless. It doesn't matter if you roll a 1 or a 5; the key is how your number compares to what the other person got. Whoever has the higher number 'wins'. How well they won is based on the difference between the numbers. If you roll a 4 and the other person rolls 0, that's a much more effective win than if you roll a 4 and they roll a 3.
In the examples below, 'roll 1' refers to the first roll made. This usually reflects an IC action; it may be an attack, a spell casting, an attempt to sneak, or any other action which prompts someone else to roll against it. 'Roll 2' refers to the response roll, whether is it a dodge, a block, an attempt to resist, an attempt to perceive, or something else entirely.
Let's consider rolls in the light of a physical attack. Say Isha is swinging his sword at Dairine. He rolls his Melee stat, and Dairine rolls her Dexterity to dodge.
| Melee Roll | Dex Roll | Difference | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | +1 to the attacker | Minor wound to Dairine. |
| 2 | 0 | +2 to the attacker | Serious wound to Dairine. |
| 3 | 0 | +3 to the attacker | Critical, probably fatal wound to Dairine. |
Circumstances may modify the severity of a roll. For example, if Isha was attempting to stab Dairine with a pin instead of a sword, that's not going to be anything worse than a hit of 1 in effect, even if he were to roll 4 and she 0.
A difference of 3 in one hit is generally fatal if the attack can kill its target, and if the attacker intends to kill. Bludgeoning someone's skull with a pillow isn't going to kill them, no matter how hard +roll says you hit. An axe, however, would do the job nicely on a hit of 3.
If the difference is higher than 3… it acts much as a 3 unless you can find some creative fashion by which to make it even more profound.
Although this example is for a physical altercation, the principles apply to all other opposed rolls.
Injuries are, of course, cumulative. If your character takes on the order of 5-6 points' worth of damage in a scene, you need to roll Constitution every subsequent round. For a successful roll, they remain conscious and are able to act for another round. If the Con roll fails (0 or less, in this case), they collapse. The exact threshold at which you need to start rolling Constitution can vary depending on IC circumstances.
