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The Base Statistics

Everything in these dice games are based of off stats. Here's a short description of the most widely accepted Stats:
info from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_&_Dragons_gameplay#Ability_scores

Strength (STR): Strength is a measure of muscle, endurance and stamina combined. Strength affects the ability of characters to lift and carry weights, melee attack rolls, damage rolls (for both melee and ranged weapons,) the Jump, Climb, and Swim skills, several combat actions, and general checks involving moving or breaking stubborn objects.

Dexterity (DEX): Dexterity encompasses a number of physical attributes including hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, fine motor skills, balance and speed of movement; a high dexterity score indicates superiority in all these attributes. Dexterity affects characters with regard to initiative in combat, ranged attack rolls, Armor Class, Reflex saves, and the Balance, Escape Artist, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock, Ride, Sleight of Hand, Tumble, and Use Rope skills. It also affects the number of additional attacks of opportunity granted by the Combat Reflexes feat. Dexterity is the ability most influenced by outside influences (such as armor).

Constitution (CON): Constitution is a term which encompasses the character's physique, toughness, health and resistance to disease and poison. The higher a character's Constitution, the more hit points that character will have. Constitution also is important for Fortitude saves, the Concentration skill, and fatigue-based general checks. Constitution also determines the duration of a barbarian's rage. Unlike the other ability scores, which render the character unconscious or immobile when they hit 0, having 0 Constitution is fatal.

Intelligence (INT): Intelligence is similar to IQ, but also includes mnemonic ability, reasoning and learning ability outside those measured by the written word. Intelligence dictates the number of languages a character can learn, and it influences the number of spells a preparation-based arcane spellcaster (like a Wizard) may cast per day, and the effectiveness of said spells. It also affects how many skill points a character gains per level, the Appraise, Craft, Decipher Script, Disable Device, Forgery, Knowledge, Search, and Spellcraft skills, and bardic knowledge checks.

Wisdom (WIS): Wisdom is a composite term for the characters enlightenment, judgement, wile, willpower and intuitiveness. Wisdom influences the number of spells a divine spellcaster (like clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers) can cast per day, and the effectiveness of said spells. It also affects Will saving throws, the Heal, Listen, Profession, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival skills, the effectiveness of the Stunning Fist feat, and a monk's quivering palm attack.

Charisma (CHA): Charisma is the measure of the character's combined physical attractiveness, persuasiveness, and personal magnetism. A generally non-beautiful character can have a very high charisma due to strong measures of the other two aspects of charisma. Charisma influences how many spells spontaneous arcane spellcasters (like sorcerers and bards) can cast per day, and the effectiveness of said spells. It also affects Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Perform, and Use Magic Device checks, how often and how effectively clerics and paladins can turn undead, the wild empathy of druids and rangers, and a paladin's lay on hands ability.

Calculating Actions

This link is where I get my basic information from. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/usingSkills.htm

Now the way this little mini-adventure will go as follows. Lillian is basically acting as an entire adventuring group. I know people are gonna want to beat me up, but her stats will be morphing as we go. As will each 'individual' in the party. The whole point of this exercise is to learn to use the dice. The point is NOT the rules and leveling and such from D&D, but just how to use dice to determine outcomes. Most of Lillian's actions will be decided by rolling a d20 (20-sided dice). But I'll require damage dice later on. Don't hassle me with PMs telling me that I didn't do hardness checks or any of the in-dept things like that. This is simply showing how dice may affect story.

Usually when doing these kind of stories, the goal number is not always known. Since this is guide, I'll be telling lillian what number she's trying to reach. But her post action roll will still be random. I won't allow take 10's and take 20's at first, but they will be covered as we go.

Lillian, your basic party (all roughly level 5) is:
An Elven(f) rogue, A Dwarvan(m) fighter, a human(m) Cleric, and a human(f) range fighter (little bit of magic and/or archery)


Not so Basic Plot for Basic Practice.

Recent events have caused the townsfolk of Lazy Meadows to fear for their future. Nature itself seems to be closing in on their little corner of the world. There've been more and more sightings of wild beasts in town. And a hunting party came back minus one of the hunting dogs a couple weeks ago. The tree-line even seems to be closing in on the meadows, and looming ever closer to Town Hall.

With all these events happening some people became worried when a certain wealthy mansion owner didn't show up in the marketplace Friday (like he usually does). What made matters worse was when he didn't show up for the Town Picnic on Saturday. The townsfolk had nicknamed him the Duke of Kindness, because he was always so nice to everyone.

When he went shopping he would always visit all the merchants. Of course he bought enough supplies to last him and his frequent guests through the week. But, he never failed to buy something from everyone else. Even if it was just a small trinket form the local artist, or a little fish from the fisherman, or a sausage from the butcher. Or a bunch of grapes from the farmer. He never payed for anything in copper pieces, or silver pieces, but instead rounded all his purchases up to the nearest gold piece.

However, he knew if someone was trying to sell him overpriced, inferior products. Whenever people did try to rip him off (usually an out-of-town merchant) he would give them such a tongue-lashing that it was surprising that any of them would try to rip anyone off ever again. Occasionally, one of bolder (stupider?) ones would still try to rip the guy off. That's when he'd heft his ironwood walking stick in the air and grab it near the base. Once he started swinging that thing around, the swindler would either give up, get beaten, or be driven out of town. All of the townsfolk constantly offered to repay him any way they could. He often just shrugged it off with a wave of his hand, and said, "As long as I can be of help, I will do my best to do so; but I hope never to need that help for myself."

All of Lazy Meadows hoped they'd be cheered up after the fireworks display. Some of them were, for they realized they'd finally have a chance to repay his kindnesses. Once the fireworks were done they were all very tired, and went home to bed. The next day (Sunday) they went to the nearby towns and got together a specially chosen party to go check up on their Duke of Kindness.

The townsfolk were relieved when they found some willing adventurers, because most of them feared the dark house that this kind man lived in. It was old, a bit creaky, on top of a foreboding hill, and had all sorts of weird vines growing on and around it. Several of the children feared that this seemingly kind man was hiding a wealth of sorrow behind his kindly demeanor. After all, "Who would be able to stay in the house their wife had died in and not be saddened by the memories?"

It's now Monday afternoon and your party is the one that has been sent to investigate. You arrive in front of his drive. There's a massive, old iron gate in the way. It's locked and chained, but you need to figure out how to continue up the drive to check on this duke all the townsfolk seem to care so much for.

Please ask questions if you don't know how to proceed Lily, but don't be afraid to try the unexpected either. Usually this wouldn't be known to the player, but the gate lock is impossible to pick for this party (even if you use the rogue). There are two ways I've thought of for you to succeed. But as I keep saying, being unpredictable makes it fun.

4 is a pretty low roll, and since he has no bonuses for lock-picking it would be even harder for him. As noted in the previous post this lock is impossible to pick for this party.

Though as a dwarf he's very strong and has a hefty weapon (your choice: axe, sword, or hammer) He has nearly no dexterity and wouldn't do too well at picking any locks. Your rogue would be the lock-picker of the group. Your Dwarf it the fighter. For this challenge, he's still probably the better choice to overcome it.

One example of a response would be, "Dusty is unable to pick the rusty lock, and notices that it's definitely a formidable lock to deal with." But that's not as literate as it could be.

He makes it about a third the way up the gate, than loses his grip, slipping back to the ground. Nothing hurt but his pride, and even then but for a moment.

This is why it's tough for my to not control other characters. Because as DM you do have some control. Your 8 wasn't too bad. But again the poor guy has nearly no dexterity, which applies to acrobatics as well.

Actually looking around is a way to use a search check. AND it was a good roll. AND Dwarves are good at examining stone and metal-work.
The main gate appears very well made, and very sturdy to boot. It looks big enough to allow a stagecoach through. Obviously so it can continue up the drive to the house. Off to the side there is a comparatively small (about the size of a humanoid) gate made of solid iron. It seems to be hanging loosely in the framework. A closer look shows some kind of scratches on the door where a lock should have been. The marks are evenly spaced, and look a lot like claw marks or teeth marks; though they could also just be the result of some sort of tool used for jimmying locks.


Had you rolled poorly again, the description might have went something like this...
The main gate seems quite sturdy, and the wall looks very formidable. There is a second, smaller gate (a solid iron one) that looks just as secure as the rest of the place. Nothing else looks out of the ordinary.

Notice that the description is shorter, and far less detailed, but the reality is still the same (an unlocked iron door in the wall). It's only the perception of the reality that's changed. In a table-top game, the dice used to decide success or failure of unknown variables (to the character) are rolled secretly by the DM. So the player doesn't know whether they rolled really good and there's just nothing to see, or whether it was just a poor roll, and they didn't find something that WAS there.

Did you notice that I described what your guy saw, without saying what he did? A good DM has to find a way to do things like that as often as possible. I didn't know how to word things so you had control of your character when he was climbing; and therefore had to control him a little. You'll have to decide how everyone goes through the smaller gate, but you have conquered the first obstacle. Good job!


Breaking the lock was my first plan for your team, but you found the alternate one. I was actually planning on just having a hedge around the property where people could easily walk through, instead of a gate. But you were specifically looking for an alternate way in, so I complied. Besides, a good DM can be flexible enough to go with a good idea, if one of the players comes up with one. Your idea of looking for a part of the fence that would let your dwarf in was a good one, so I went with it.

Before you could get 15 feet from the gate, a spinning metallic device pops up out of the ground and soaks your characters. They hurry through the spray until they get out of range. Once they do, the device drops back into the ground. Everything is soaked so badly that they need to pause for a few minutes to wipe down their gear. Fortunately neither of the girls were wearing white shirts, or your party would have been delayed a bit longer. wink

You are only a third of the way up the path.

Switch to your Rogue elf.

Roll a spot check for the next 20 feet.

Your dwarf won't be able to spot or disable anything.