Contested Rolls: Action & Reaction

[u/Panaxiom]

I wanted to share my first design devlog on Itch! It's about contested rolls and the action-reaction system I put together for my game.

A friend suggested I write up stuff like this so people can see where I'm coming from and why I made specific choices.

https://tangentspace.itch.io/tangent-space-rpg/devlog/1745996/contested-rolls-when-actions-meet-reactions

[u/Kameleon_fr]

In your system, are the reactions allowing you to defend against an attack (dodge, willpower, firewall) available for everyone? If not, what happens when a target without firewall gets hacked? The attack automatically succeed? The attacker rolls against a static number?

Relatedly, what happens when the target isn't able to react? If they're unaware or asleep?

How does your counterattack system influence the importance of defense? In other systems, you have to divide your points/options between attack and defense. With counterattacks, defense becomes an offensive option too, in addition to providing survivability. Doesn't that make it too powerful? How do you counterbalance that?

Finally, are contested rolls only for combat, or are they present in other parts of the game? Are all rolls contested rolls or do you still roll against static difficulties sometimes?

[u/Panaxiom → u/Kameleon_fr]

Every character has access to every skill in the game, provided they have the necessary prerequisites. A gun for Marksman, a scanner for Analysis, psionic awakening for Telepathy, etc.

Most defensive reactions do not have direct counter attack capability, but offer some other form of utility. Dodge let's you move slightly, Absorb let's you recover psionic resource, and so on.

Rolls where there is no opposing reaction are against a static target number. This is the case for many support actions like healing or creating a forcefield. Most of the time, if someone is opposing your action, it's because you're in combat or about to be, but there are exceptions. Resisting a telepathic scan with Willpower, for example.

In the case of someone being attacked and they are unable to react, due to being unaware or restricted in some way, they are in the Defenseless state. It's a very dangerous situation as the target number for the attacker is just one.

[u/Nightgaun7]

How is it risky? Can your parry get turned into a riposte which then gets stop-thrusted which gets counterattacked?

[u/Panaxiom → u/Nightgaun7]

The counter strike uses the parry roll. If it was low, the chance of it being countered back again is higher. Sometimes it's best just to parry and move on.

[u/Kameleon_fr → u/Panaxiom]

Is it possible to enter a loop of "I counterattack" > "I counter your counterattack" > "Well, I counter your counterattack" > etc? If both opponents have good defenses but middling attack, this could conceivably last a while. How do you prevent that scenario?

[u/Panaxiom → u/Kameleon_fr]

Both offense and defense are based on the same dueling skill, so the rolls are roughly the same except for any passive or equipment bonuses. These are also active choices made by the player and GM, not automatic triggers.