 Welcome role players! My name is Mario, and let's learn about basic dice rolls in Stars Without Number Revised Edition. Most dice rolls in Stars Without Number are driven by two key parts of your character, attributes and skills. From fixing the engine of a starship to resisting a psychic attack, dice rolls are easy to understand for new players. Attribute scores translate to an attribute modifier ranging from minus 2 to plus 2, depending on the attribute score. For all of our examples, let's use the following attribute scores and modifiers for our sample character, an expert entertainer. The second relevant part of a character are their skills. At character level 1, each skill will either be untrained, skill level 0, or skill level 1. We'll use these skills for our sample character. The first roll to learn is a skill check. A skill check is rolled with two six-sided dice, commonly referred to as 2D6. When the Game Master asks for a skill check, they will specify both the attribute and skill required for the check. However, there may be another combination that makes sense depending on the task. The GM makes the final decision, but don't be afraid to justify another combination. For example, you are trying to evade a group of thugs who think you're responsible for a missing prototype weapon schematic. The GM asks you to make a dexterity sneak check. However, you are untrained in sneak, so you decide that instead of sneaking around, you would like to use your contacts in the space station to cover for you as you disappear through a busy nightclub. You suggest using Charisma and Connect to get away from the gang and the GM agrees. To make a skill check, you roll 2D6 and add your attribute modifier and your skill level. If you are untrained in that skill, you suffer a minus one penalty. Skill level 0 has no bonus, and a skill level higher than 0 is added to your 2D6 roll and attribute modifier. In the previous example, our sample character doing a dexterity sneak check would roll 2D6 and add 0 for their dexterity modifier and a minus one for their untrained sneak skill, equalling a roll of 2D6 minus one. If instead the character rolled Charisma Connect, it would be 2D6 plus 0 for Charisma and 0 for their connect skill, equalling a straight roll of 2D6. The GM determines the difficulty of the task, but the minimum score necessary would be a 6, which is a simple task that exceeds the type of task appropriate for your background. The GM may also assign a modifier to the roll ranging from plus 2 to minus 2 based on circumstances or tools available. Using the previous example, if you had a coat that was a different color when reversed, the GM may give you a plus one bonus to your roll. Matching or exceeding the skill check difficulty is considered a success. A skill check may also be modified by an ally attempting to assist you in the task. Attempts to assist require a relevant skill check at the same difficulty number. If they succeed, they grant you a plus one modifier on your skill check. You cannot have more than a plus one bonus from aid, even if from multiple players. Imagine a situation where you barely escaped a group of space station guards and made it back to your ship, but one friend in your party was mortally shot just as the doors closed. You decide to try and stabilize them with an intelligence heal skill check, and the GM says the difficulty will be 10. Your ally decides to help you by trying to stop the bleeding, so they roll a dexterity heal check and succeed. You get a plus one to your roll. You roll a nine, get a plus one from your intelligence, but a minus one from not being trained in heal. Luckily, with your allies plus one, your total is 10 and you are able to stabilize your compatriot. Finally, you can also have an opposed skill check. For instance, your character gets a little too tipsy in a local bar and suddenly finds themselves in a 10 paces in turn shoot out with the local bad boy. For this opposed skill check, both you and the GM would roll a dexterity shoot check, the higher number being the winner. In case of a tie, the player character would win. Looks like you just barely won this deadly game. There are two more types of basic rolls in Stars Without Number. The next one is initiative, which is a straightforward 1d8 roll, adding your dexterity modifier to the roll. Higher numbers go first. The final type of roll is a 1d20 roll. This is used for combat and for saving throws. A saving throw is made by a character when they are trying to resist or avoid a negative outcome, such as drinking a poison, falling off of a cliff, or being overcome by a psychic probe. Character saves are based upon your attribute modifiers and your level. Here are the values for our sample level 1 character. If our character was on a new planet and tried to drink the water, not realizing it was toxic to them, the GM would have them make a physical saving throw. The goal is to meet or exceed the saving throw value with your 1d20 roll. For this character, that means a 15 or higher to not get poisoned. If instead our character was diving through closing bulkhead doors to outrun an explosion, this would be an invasion save. Our character would need to get a 14 or higher to succeed. One final note about saving throws. A 1 always fails and a 20 always exceeds, regardless of your save value. Congratulations! You are now ready to roll in Stars Without Number.