Creating a 2d12 new 2d12 system
When first building our dice system design for of Hearth and Horror, we first started with one idea:
We want to roll more d12s.
From there, we really had 3 core concepts that led to our system: clarity, brutality, and flexibility.
We became fatigued by the lack of clarity of some existing dice systems. We all know that good feeling of thinking you rolled well, only to have the game master tell you you didn’t see anything. The line between “oh damn, it’s strong” and “you’re just making it up” is as thin as the veil. Because of that, we wanted our dice system to be crystal clear for players and Conteurs alike. You’ll know what your number means when you roll it. To do that we built our system around Roll Outcome Thresholds, which go from Failure to Success with everything in between. This includes Moderate Successes and Failures, as well as Complete Success Pluses, when you roll above the dice’s maximum.
Each threshold is listed out, so once those dice stop spinning, you know exactly where you stand. This removes the ambiguity of rolls while keeping that feeling of “oh crap what’s next?” Additionally, this also gives the Conteur a gradient of options, with Moderate Successes and Failures requiring a bit more nuance to describe. Perhaps an enemy combatant moderately success Misinformation on the results of your Insight roll. The system also has Critical Successes and Failures by rolling the highest or lowest numbers on both dice. Knowing that this is MUCH harder than a single die system, each with a 1:144 chance, these effects come with some extra mechanics to make sure your table really feels the rewards…and pitfalls.
of Hearth and Horror is at its core, meant to be a survival horror style experience, so we wanted to make a dice system that really made you grit your teeth when you choose to use it. Because of that, the Roll Thresholds are, at their base, always stacked against the roller, whether that is you the player, or your Conteur. This means that each point you can put into your Roll Bonus by gaining Skills or raising your Trait Scores can be the difference between rolling an attack or rolling a new character. This gives each character a lot more room to grow and specialize with their Skills and Talents, to turn the tide of each roll more in their favor.
Creating a brutal dice system was such a balancing act because we wanted it to not only be scary, but also strategic and fun. That’s where the system’s flexibility shines through. Some major pieces to the system are different ways to manipulate your rolls outside of increasing your skills. Our favorite is the Favor system. Based on your planning (or lack thereof), your Conteur can make your roll Favored or Unfavored, which can automatically increase or decrease your outcome threshold. Another is Rolling with Zeal. We won’t spoil this yet, but just remember that we wanted to roll more D12s. Basically, between how you build your character and how you play your character, you have the ability to flex the dice system in your direction just enough to stay alive.
How do you all feel about rolling more d12s? Any feedback as to how they have changed your TTRPG development?