Card-based success checks

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#1

Hey guys! This blog post is specifically applicable to my settlement game concept, but it might be useful for other designers.

The important paragraph is the following:

The randomness of cards is extremely limited. Thus, they should not be used to represent random success odds against a consistent target, but consistent success rates against an unknown target. An adventurer in DND always has a 2-in-6 chance to break open a door. However, a Club-n card can beat any non-Club card at combat, or any Club card less than n. This is a completely different paradigm to approaching random scenarios and player agency.

I should clarify that cards are not limited in the random situations they generate, but in application. Their strength is their randomness of opposition so to speak, but they cannot be used to compute random odds of success like dice can.

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#2

This is pretty interesting. I imagine this almost handling a lot of the fiddly bits of RPGs that require either GM fiat or multiple checks between party members and the GM. Sometimes it’s nice to literally just play War and have bigger number succeed.

Like you mentioned, it obviously has its limitations but it’s pretty interesting nonetheless.

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#3

Thank you! I think in a sense, it is analogous to the GM rolling d20 above a player’s ability score to determine success (except that the player has to decide which ability score to use, at the expense of not using that one again for some time).

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