Gameplay

On Beyond the Pale, we use several different mechanics

Basic Mechanics

Stats

Stats are one of the core mechanics of Beyond the Pale and are most commonly used when rolling dice in threads. They are inspired by Thirsty Sword Lesbians.

The first five stats are Daring, Grace, Heart, Wit and Spirit. They are most commonly earned through redeeming threads, but can also be earned by consuming items. The last stat is Oath which is the rarest and most difficult to get, only being able to be earned through completing Expeditions. All stats (including Oath) may be occasionally earned through participating in events or raffles.

The primary usage of stats is in dice rolls, but can also be used in a roleplaying capacity to showcase your character's skills and personality. For example, a character with high Heart is more likely to be charismatic and empathetic, while a character with low Daring might be weaker and more sickly. However, this isn't always the case, especially for new characters who haven't earned many stats.

Roles

roles description here - bring in from page?

Dice Rolling

Dice rolling is the most common mechanic on Beyond the Pale. Similar to other TTRPGs, dice are rolled when your character performs a difficult or complicated action while in an encounter, task or expedition. These rolls are most commonly accompanied by stat bonuses that can make an action easier or more difficult based on the character's expertise. When a staff member needs you to roll a dice to determine if you succeeded or failed, they will often ask you for a "[Stat] Roll" or a "1d6 + Stat". These both mean the same thing - roll a six-sided die and add your stat bonus (also called a stat modifier) to it.

Example: Lilypaw is trying to jump across a large gorge to impress her friends. In order to succeed, she has to pass a Grace check that needs a 3 or higher. Her Grace modifier is a -2. She rolls a d6 and gets a 4. When her Grace modifier is added to it, she gets a total of 2 Grace. Unfortunately, this fails the check and she trips down the gorge!

Beyond the Pale currently used a six-sided die (or a d6).

Situations that would call for a dice roll and what their modifiers might be:

• Convincing a stubborn apprentice to clean his nest (Heart)
• Climbing a very tall fence while running away from something scary (Grace)
• Clubbing a monster with a rock (Daring)
• Solving a mysterious loner's riddle (Wit)
• Keeping your cool while a monster is passing by your hiding place (Spirit)

Advantage & Disadvantage

Sometimes, a staff member will ask you to roll with advantage or disadvantage. This means that you will roll twice and either take the highest result (advantage) or the lowest result (disadvantage.)

Critical Success & Critical Fail

Occasionally, you'll roll so high or so low that your results are magnified as a result. In Dungeons & Dragons 5e, a "critical success" is when you roll the highest number on the die (20), while a "critical fail" is when you roll the lowest number (1). Since we use a d6 die instead of a d20, we use a somewhat different system.

Instead, we determine "critical successes" by if you roll two 6s or two 1s. If you roll a 6 (without any modifiers), you will roll a confirmation roll to see if you get a critical success. If you get another 6, it's a critical success! Using the same logic, if you roll a 1 (without any modifiers) followed by a confirmation roll of a 1, it's a critical fail.

If you roll a 6 but your confirmation roll is a 5 or below, you will still use the first value of 6 in your results. The same is true if you roll a 1.

Injuries & Illnesses

If you have a character for long enough, chances are that they'll eventually get sick or hurt, especially if they're participating in in tasks or expeditions.

On Beyond the Pale, we have a 4-tier system for discerning seriousness of an injury and the impact that it will have on your character both ICly and mechanically.

All injuries last '''one season''', after which (depending on the injury severity) it will automatically heal or become a permanent injury.

Minor

Minor injuries/illnesses (description here)

Mechanically, when you are under the effect of a minor injury/illness, your character will receive a -1 debuff to every stat for the duration of the affliction. The injury or illness will heal itself in one season but it can be expedited by either visiting a healer or purchasing a medkit from Beetlefox's Shop.

Examples of a minor injury or illness:

• A deep scratch
• A broken rib
• Mild pneumonia
• A torn claw