Aspect Dice
3. Aspect Dice
Aspect Dice do not determine success or failure. They determine what success or failure costs, causes, or creates.
Each Aspect Die represents a different narrative axis. Multiple Aspect Dice may be rolled together.
Each die is read independently, according to its axis. Aspect Dice are never added together.
d4 — COST
The Cost die determines what is paid for the action.
| Roll | Cost Level |
|---|---|
| 1 | Negligible |
| 2 | Fatigue or strain |
| 3 | Injury, loss, or complication |
| 4 | Permanent Scar, Breakage, or irreversible change |
The Cost die is most often added by: • Conditions • Desperation • Environmental hardship • Pushing beyond limits
d6 — CONTROL
The Control die determines how precisely the action is executed.
| Roll | Precision |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Sloppy or unstable |
| 3–4 | Adequate |
| 5–6 | Precise and controlled |
Low Control often introduces: • Collateral effects • Unintended consequences • Narrative instability
d8 — EFFECT
The Effect die determines how much the action changes the situation.
| Roll | Impact |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Minimal |
| 3–5 | Moderate |
| 6–7 | Significant |
| 8 | Lasting change |
Effect answers the question: “How much does this matter?”
d10 — DANGER
The Danger die determines how much attention or escalation the action causes.
| Roll | Escalation |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | Contained |
| 4–6 | Attention drawn |
| 7–9 | Threat advances |
| 10 | Immediate fallout |
Danger most often advances: • local threat pressure (Sections 13 and 15) • Attention (Section 18) • Doom triggers when containment fails (Section 19)
d12 — OPPORTUNITY
The Opportunity die determines what advantages emerge beyond the original intent.
| Roll | Advantage |
|---|---|
| 1–4 | None |
| 5–8 | Situational |
| 9–11 | Strategic |
| 12 | Unexpected boon |
Opportunity never negates Cost. It creates new options, not free success.
Aspect Dice Principles
• Aspect Dice describe meaning, not arithmetic • Multiple Aspect Dice may trigger simultaneously • High success may still be costly • Failure may still create opportunity • The world always reacts somewhere
Aspect Dice represent how the world reshapes itself around action.