Dice rolls
When the outcome is uncertain, roll 3d6 against a target. Equal or under succeeds.
Start here
Roll 3d6
If the Game Master asks what your character does and there is no real risk, you simply do it: set up camp, tend the horses, visit a familiar tavern. No roll.
When skill, luck, or opposition matters, roll 3d6 against a target number. Add the three dice. You succeed if the total is less than or equal to the target.
Stat roll: the target is the stat. Skill roll: the target is skill level + linked stat. Same dice. Same success rule. Full detail on Stat & skill rolls.
Example: Target 12. Roll 3+4+5 = 12 → success. Roll 3+5+6 = 14 → failure.
At the table: how well did I do?
You don't need to translate the numbers yourself. RPG Meister shows a named outcome. If you want the mechanic: margin = target − roll total. A positive margin is a success; a negative margin is a failure. The GM uses the margin for narration and for some effects (Recovery, shield bypass, opposed-roll winners).
In the example above, 12 vs 12 is margin 0 (marginal success). 14 vs 12 is margin −2 (minor failure).
At the table: the eleven-step outcome scale
You don't need to memorise this table. The app shows the named result. This is here when you want to know what the margins mean.
| Margin | Outcome | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Natural 3 | Legendary success | S6 (reserved) |
| +4 or more | Exceptional success | S5 |
| +3 | Great success | S4 |
| +2 | Solid success | S3 |
| +1 | Success | S2 |
| 0 | Marginal success | S1 |
| −1 | Near miss | F1 |
| −2 | Minor failure | F2 |
| −3 | Failure | F3 |
| −4 or worse | Severe failure | F4 |
| Natural 18 | Catastrophic failure | F5 (reserved) |
Natural 3 and natural 18 are reserved. They always count as the most extreme outcomes — regardless of how easy or hard the target was. A peasant can stitch a king's wound with a natural 3; a master surgeon can botch a bandage on a natural 18. The fiction the GM weaves around it should match.
Advanced: the maths behind 3d6
You do not need this before your first game. Useful if you are designing a character or want exact odds.
Each +1 to your target is helpful, but not equally helpful across the whole range. Because 3d6 averages about 10½, improvements near the middle change your odds a lot; improvements when you are already excellent change them only a little.
| Compare | Chance to succeed (3d6 ≤ target) | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Target 10 vs 13 | 50.0% vs 80.6% | +30.6 points |
| Target 15 vs 18 | 92.1% vs 100% | +7.9 points |
Improving a weak score is usually cheap in character points and gives a big jump at the table. Improving an already excellent score costs more for a smaller gain — by design.
- Statistics treat 10 as the baseline. Moving up from low values is inexpensive; each step above 10 costs more than the last.
- Skills use a rising cost table: level 0→1 costs 1 point; high levels are a serious investment.
Chance of rolling equal to or below
Exact odds for fair dice (216 equally likely outcomes). No modifiers.
| Target (≤) | Success chance | Gain if target +1 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0.5% | — |
| 4 | 1.9% | +1.4 |
| 5 | 4.6% | +2.8 |
| 6 | 9.3% | +4.6 |
| 7 | 16.2% | +6.9 |
| 8 | 25.9% | +9.7 |
| 9 | 37.5% | +11.6 |
| 10 | 50.0% | +12.5 |
| 11 | 62.5% | +12.5 |
| 12 | 72.2% | +9.7 |
| 13 | 80.6% | +8.3 |
| 14 | 87.5% | +6.9 |
| 15 | 92.1% | +4.6 |
| 16 | 94.9% | +2.8 |
| 17 | 96.3% | +1.4 |
| 18 | 100% | +3.7 |
“Gain if target +1” is how much the success chance rises when your target increases by exactly one.
Related rules
- Stat & skill rolls — what each target is built from, plus opposed rolls.
- Combat — Initiative, Hit, Parry, Dodge.
- Rules overview — the one-minute core.
- At the table (Player Guide) — how the app runs these rolls.