In the Dark uses 6-sided dice. Players roll 1D or more to figure out what occurs when something happens and the outcome is in doubt.In the Dark uses 6-sided dice. Players roll 1D or more to figure out what occurs when something happens and the outcome is in doubt.

After a player rolls their dice, they read the single highest result:

• 6 is a good outcome
• 4-5 is a mixed outcome
• 1-3 is a bad outcome

If a player would roll with less than 1D, they roll 2D & read the single lowest result.

Normally, only the players roll dice – the GM doesn’t need to roll. It isn’t against the rules for the GM to roll, it’s simply best practice for players to make all rolls.

There are 3 main types of rolls:

Fortune Rolls

Action Rolls

Resistance Rolls

Fortune Rolls

Fortune rolls are the simplest rolls in the game. When there's a question the players or GM want to leave up to the dice, they make a fortune roll to answer it.

Any entity can make a fortune roll – a PC, an NPC, a faction, the crew as a whole, etc. Fortune rolls resolve…

• All actions taken outside a job
• Minor actions, on or off a job
• “Off-screen” events
• NPC actions against other NPCs
• Questions of “how much?” or “how good?”
• Outcomes left up to luck or chance

<aside> <img src="/icons/die1_gray.svg" alt="/icons/die1_gray.svg" width="40px" /> To make a fortune roll:

1. Pick a relevant stat:
   • A PC’s dots in an attribute or action
   • A faction or NPC’s level
   • The crew’s level or funds
   • If there’s no relevant stat (the outcome is simple luck), roll 1D
2. Roll a number of dice equal to that stat.
3. Read the single highest result:
   • 6 is a strong success (good for the roller, they get what they wanted, amounts are high, quality is good)
   • 4-5 is a weak or mixed success (okay for the roller, they get only some of what they wanted, they get what they wanted with a complication, amounts are average, quality is okay)
   • 1-3 is a failure (bad for the roller, they don’t get what they wanted, they get what they wanted with a huge drawback, amounts are small, quality is poor) </aside>

Both the GM & the players can make fortune rolls. However, players should roll whenever possible:

• Players always roll directly for their PC.
• When rolling for an NPC or a faction, the player who’s most directly connected to the stakes or outcome rolls.
• When rolling for the entire crew, the group can nominate one player to roll.

<aside> <img src="/icons/pencil_gray.svg" alt="/icons/pencil_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Notes on fortune rolls:

• The unmodified fortune roll is the default roll. When it feels like someone should roll but nothing else seems to apply, make a fortune roll.
• That said, fortune rolls are only for outcomes in doubt. If there’s no doubt about the outcome, there’s no roll – fortune or otherwise. The GM shouldn’t gate info characters would know or tasks they would easily complete behind rolls.
• PCs can’t push, take devil’s bargains, or assist on fortune rolls. The GM can’t subtract dice for level disparity. Harm penalties don’t apply. The GM may add dice for good or bad positioning. </aside>

Action Rolls

The action roll is the core roll of the game. When the crew is on a job and a PC attempts a risky action, they make an action roll to determine the outcome.

Risky

"Risky" means the action has a chance of failure. If there's no chance of failure, there's no roll. The PC just does it.

Similarly, if there's no chance of success, the action is impossible. There's no roll, and the PC doesn't do it.

On a Job

Action rolls only occur when the crew is on a job and under pressure. At any other time, all rolls are simpler fortune rolls.

<aside> <img src="/icons/die6_gray.svg" alt="/icons/die6_gray.svg" width="40px" /> To make an action roll:

1. Describe the action the PC takes.
2. Pick an action stat that matches the PC’s in-game action.
3. Start with 1D for each dot marked across that action’s row.
4. Subtract -1D…
   • For every level the target exceeds the crew
   • If the GM says the PC starts in a bad position when attempting this action
   • For every level of harm (minor or moderate) where the PC has 2 boxes marked
5. Add +1D…
   • For every level the crew exceeds this roll’s target
   • If the GM says the PC starts in a good position when attempting this action
   • If the player decides to push or take a devil’s bargain
   • If a crewmate assists the acting PC. The assisting PC says what they do & takes 1 stress
6. Roll the final pool of dice & read the single highest result:
   • 6 is a full success – the action succeeds without any negative consequences
   • 4-5 is a partial success – the action succeeds, but some kind of complication or negative consequence results
   • 1-3 is a failure – the action fails and there’s a negative consequence
   • Multiple 6s are a critical success – the action succeeds and the PC **gets an extra benefit </aside>

Only players make action rolls. If an NPC acts & the outcome is uncertain, the GM has two options:

• If a PC is involved, bake the NPC’s action into a player roll. The PC’s success is the NPC’s failure, and vice-versa. A partial success can be a consequence (or a good outcome) for both.
• If there’s no PC involved, make a simple fortune roll for the NPC.

Subtracting Dice

Adding Dice

Outcomes

<aside> <img src="/icons/pencil_gray.svg" alt="/icons/pencil_gray.svg" width="40px" />

Action rolls are negotiations:

• Players pick what action they roll with. However, the GM must accept that the chosen action matches what they’re doing. A PC can’t say they’re bribing the ambassador and then roll to Attack.
• The GM also says how difficult – and how effective – an action might be. If the player doesn’t like the odds, they can suggest another approach. </aside>

Resistance Rolls

When a player rolls a failure (1-3) or a partial success (4-5) on an action roll, they have one chance to reduce or avoid the negative consequences that result. After the GM explains the consequences, the player who just rolled can choose to resist.

By default, resisting a consequence takes 6 stress. To lower the stress taken, the player makes a resistance roll.

<aside> <img src="/icons/die3_gray.svg" alt="/icons/die3_gray.svg" width="40px" /> To make a resistance roll:

</aside>

Resisting is optional. If the player accepts, they take stress and get a reduced consequence. If their roll was too low and the stress cost too high, they can decide not to resist after all. In that case, the GM describes the original consequence occurring.

Generally, choosing to resist reduces a consequence. 2 segments filled on the “bomb explodes” clock will reduce to 1, or the guard who would’ve raised the alarm instead tries to deal with a PC intruder by himself. Sometimes, a consequence is mild enough that reducing it allows the PC to avoid it entirely. The minor harm from an incoming punch, for example, might reduce to no harm as the PC dodges the blow.

Because PCs can reduce or totally avoid consequences, the GM should dish out fairly severe consequences on failed action rolls. However:

• This only applies to action rolls, as only the consequences of action rolls can be resisted.
• “Severe” does not mean “unfair”. The GM should always root for the PCs.

<aside> <img src="/icons/pencil_gray.svg" alt="/icons/pencil_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Notes on resistance rolls:

</aside>

Special Rolls

There are also a few types of modified fortune & action rolls:

Engagement Rolls

Teamwork Rolls

Flashback Rolls

Engagement Rolls

Teamwork Rolls

Flashback Rolls

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