When an Adventurer tests an ability against nature or circumstance:
The Dice Roll provides a way to account for all of the many possible “good” or “bad” factors that might affect the Adventurer's luck attempting an action,
A gritty floor that loses traction, a distracting reflection, and countless other possible circumstances not worth making book after book of ruling over all wrap up into one roll to represent them all.
Non-random circumstances may also affect an Adventurer's action.
If the Guide determines that specific non-random circumstances of the encounter, and the action attempted, merit becoming part of Degree of Success, they may add or subtract as needed.
For example, an action occurs on a moonlit foggy night full of shifting close shadows, prompting the Guide to assess a -2 Modifier for the action attempted.
The Guide specifies the amounts and reasons, but should take care not to add more than +3 or subtract more than -3 without clear reason or justification to preserve fairness and balance.
The Degree of Success scale does not exceed the range of -10 to 0 to +10.
If the cumulative factors of Attribute, Skill, Dice, Modifiers, result in total that exceeds the range of -10 to +10, drop any additional points beyond the range.
Cap the success at +10 or the failure at -10.
A Degree of Success from 0 to +10 is a success and the attempted task is completed.
However, if the Degree of Success is -10 to -1, then the attempted task failed, and negative consequences for failure apply.
The normal consequence for a failed Unopposed Attribute Score Test is Attribute Reserve damage.
The Degree of Success from -10 to -1 represents the number of lost Attribute Reserve points.
On a particularly bad failure of -10, the Attribute Reserve damage was so severe that it continues to add residual damage by 1 additional point each turn until healed or repaired.
For example, an unopposed Strength Attribute test:
If the Degree of Success is 0 to +10, then that Strength test succeeded.
In the example, a result of +5 is a success.
If the Degree of Success results in a -10 to -1, then that many points are removed from the current Strength Reserve.
In the example, if the player had rolled -5 on the dice, with a Strength of +3, the result would be a -2, a failure and 2 points of Strength Reserve damage would be counted off.
If the Degree of Success results in -10, then the Adventurer continues to lose an additional 1 point of Strength Reserve per turn until healed.
Each 10 points of Strength Reserve lost will also incur a Strength score loss of 1 point as well.