Opposed Challenges
Opposed challenges resolve conflicts between individuals with different goals. An opposed challenge targets another character (or NPC) or an object within another character's immediate control. Every opposed challenge includes an "
attacker" and a "
defender" - this determines who is acting against whom, even though the test might not involve a damage dealing attack.
Step One: Defining the Challenge and Your Victory Condition
When you target another individual with an opposed challenge, indicate which character you wish to affect and announce your
victory condition. A victory condition is the stated, desired result that will occur if you win this challenge. If you lose the challenge, your victory condition does not occur.
Keep in mind that your victory condition needs to be logical within the continuity of the scene and consistent with the type of challenge initiated. All victory conditions must be approved by the target player or the Storyteller. (If there is some disagreement, the Storyteller makes the final decision about whether or not a victory condition is unacceptable).
Step Two: Determining the Attack Test Pool
All attack challenge test pools are determined by this simple formula:
Attribute + Ability + Bonuses = Test Pool
Step Three: Determining the Defense Test Pool
The type of challenge (Physical, Social, or Mental) determines the target's defensive test pool. However, players should note that defense pools against mental and Social attacks are different than those that defend against Physical attacks. Where abilities assist in physical defense, current willpower determines how well a character can resist Mental and Social Challenges.
Physical Challenge Defense Test Pool
Attribute + Ability + Bonuses = Test Pool
Mental Challenge Defense Test Pool
Resolve + Current Willpower + Bonuses = Test Pool
Social Challenge Defense Test Pool
Composure + Current Willpower + Bonuses = Test Pool
Step Four: Rock Paper Scissors
Next play rock, paper, scissors with the target player
Winning on the Test
If you outright win the first rock, paper, scissors test you win the test and should check to see if you've score an exceptional success (see below)
Losing the Test
If you lose the test, your target remains unaffected.
Tying the Test
If you tie, compare your attack test pool to the target's defense test pool. If your test pool is greater than the defender's you achieve a normal success. Otherwise you fail in your challenge. If is not possible to score an exceptional success if you tie - you must win the test outright for an exceptional success.
Exceptional Success
An Exceptional Success grants a bonus in addition to winning the challenge. Damaging attacks that score an exceptional success inflict an additional point of damage. Supernatural powers often list specific bonuses for achieving an exceptional success.
If your attack test pool is greater than your opponent's defense test pool, and you have outright won every test involved in the challenge, including all retests, you achieve an exceptional success.
Note that only the attacker may score an exceptional success.
Step Five: Retests
The loser of an opposed challenge may choose to make use of any of the following methods for retesting, each method may only be used once by each participant within the challenge:
- You may spend 1 point of WP and general retest any test. If WP was part of the test initially, you still bid whatever your WP was at the start of the test. You will use the new WP total beginning with the next test after the current one
- If an ability was part of your test pool, so long as you have at least three dots in that ability you may use a general retest without needing to spend a WP
- If your test pool includes either the Resolve, Stamina, or Composure attribute and there is no ability as part of your test pool, so long as you have at least four dots in that attribute you may use a general retest without needing to spend a WP
- Should your test pool be at least two times greater than your opponent's test pool you may use an overbid retest
- There are merits and other abilities that may offer additional ways to retest, these effects will list what kind of retest is given
A given type of retest may only be used once in any given test. For example, if you are testing to resist a power, and the power called for an ability in your defensive test pool you could only use that ability's general retest or the occult ability general retest, not both.
Opposed Challenge Complications
Unskilled Tests and Critical Failures
If you try to perform an action without having the appropriate ability and lose the test, you fail spectacularly. For example, if you critically fail while trying to fire an arrow you might graze yourself.
Remember that you only Critically fail if you don't have the appropriate ability and you lose the test. If you have the correct ability or tie the test, you don not critically fail (even if you still lose the overall challenge).
Relenting
At any time before the actual test is performed, a player may choose to acquiesce and admit defeat. Characters who relent lose the challenge automatically. If the relenting character's test pool is less than the attacker's, then the attacker scores an exceptional success; otherwise, the attacker scores a normal success.
Retrying Failed Attacks
If you target someone with a Physical opposed challenge and fail, you can try again on your next initiative. If you target a character with a Mental or Social opposed challenge and fail, the target is immune to an additional application of this power for the next 10 minutes. Note that this immunity only extends to the power or action used. Furthermore, others can target her with the same power or action; your target is only immune to your application of this power and action.
