Thinking About Mixed Results
The following is adapted from posts I made on the Tomb of Lime Discord server. I'm throwing my core points up here so they don't get lost in the shuffle.
What do we mean by mixed results?
In tabletop dice games1, a resolution mechanic with more possible results than success or failure, or in which there is an intermediary result between success and failure. This intermediate result is often called a partial success.
I prefer to refer to this result, and this whole type of resolution output, as mixed results instead.
Axes of outcomes
In a typical pass/fail resolution mechanic, the dice are only asking one question: usually, does the character succeed?, but sometimes does the character suffer a consequence?2
In a mixed results resolution mechanic, one roll of the dice answers two questions:
- Does the character succeed?
- Does the character suffer a consequence?
For a mixed results mechanic to work best, the answers of these questions need to be independent. Failing to succeed is not usually an appropriate or interesting consequence by itself.
Some example consequences
If my character, John Daggers, is trying to stab their arch-rival, Guy de Maille, what might the consequences look like?
- If Guy is armed, John might be stabbed in turn.
- If Guy is wearing sturdy armor, John might damage their sword.
- If Guy and John are fighting in a public space, the guards might show up to break it up.
- If the environment is more interesting than a 20' by 20' room, Guy might gain the high ground.
- And so on.
These consequences are all independent of whether John is successful in landing a hit. Though, some might be less relevant if that hit is decisive.
Supporting game mechanics
A mixed result mechanic is aided by having supporting mechanics; places to put consequences besides the pure fiction of play. Things like hit points, stress, wounds, status conditions, equipment durability, and other resources. These take some mental load of the GM and set expectations for the player as to what consequences will look like in play.
In the above example, what happens in play if John Daggers blunts their sword on Guy de Maille's armor? Without mechanical support, the table3 needs to make judgments about what that means. Perhaps the effect of future attacks is adjusted down? Perhaps another consequence like that will snap the sword outright? If, however, there is a procedure put in place for tracking equipment condition? You can just use that.
Just make sure mechanics players interact with are supported by the character sheet!
When are mixed results useful?
Mixed results resolution mechanics work best for games where you're not avoiding rolling the dice and want to use them to drive drama and create tension; for games where you want characters to take a beating even when they succeed.
Zeit gezunt!
Dice Game, n. A game of pretend or imagination that uses the random result of dice to resolve conflicts or create drama. A tabletop role-playing game.↩
Into the Odd and related games like Cairn and Mausritter frame their core mechanic (to the extent you can say they have such a thing) as a "save" rather than a "test" or a "check." They're only used when a character potentially faces a consequence. In these games, "saves" don't determine whether characters succeed or fail, only whether or how badly they get messed up in the course of their actions.↩
By "table" I mean the people at the table, including the GM.↩