The following was written with Cairn in mind, but would work just as well for Into the Odd, Electric Bastionland and heck, D&D 5e if you’re doing a complete revamp.
Performing actions involves time, gear, and skill.
- Generally, if you have none or one of the three, a task is impossible.
- If you have all three, you do not need to roll – it just succeeds.
- If you only have two, the task might involve a Save, with time or your gear being at stake if you fail.
Environmental factors/opportunities might act as a substitute for gear or skill.
Example: Lockpicking
Lockpicking a door requires no roll if you are skilled at lockpicking, are not in a hurry and have lockpicking tools available.
Lockpicking a door might require a DEX Save if you’re in a hurry yet have the skills and tools, with the risk being not finishing the task in time. It could also involve a WIL Save if you have time and skill, yet no tools, with you trying to improvise your tools.
Lockpicking a door is impossible with only one of the three:
- You could stare at a lock all day with all the time in the world, but without gear and skill, nothing is going to happen.
- You could be a skilled lockpicker, but in a hurry and without tools, there’s not much you can do.
- You might have lockpick tools, but without the time to figure out how to use them, there’s no way you’ll manage it without skill.