Novus contains only a few base difficulty ratings. These ratings are the starting points from which a GM should determine the actual Target Number (TN) of a given task.
- Mundane (TN 10):
- This is the base Target Number (TN) for common everyday tasks performed by individuals going about their daily life. In most cases, rolls are not even required for these sorts of tasks.
- Average (TN 15):
- This is the base TN for tasks that are commonly performed in the course of adventuring. These are the things normally done under a little bit of stress.
- Hard (TN 20):
- Tasks of this difficulty often require that skilled person attempt them. They can be accomplished by the average person only with a bit of time and dedication and effort.
- Challenging (TN 25):
- Tasks of this difficulty require that skilled persons perform them. And even then, that person will likely be required to put forth time and effort to accomplish the task.
- Heroic (TN 35):
- Tasks of this difficulty are considered to be on the edge of mortal capabilities. These are the sort of tasks that might be considered world records.
- Legendary (TN 45):
- Actions of this Difficulty Rating are often a step beyond those of even the best of normal mortals.
It will take practice to learn how to properly set the Target Numbers of tasks. The Common Tasks table contains a list of some of the more common actions that the characters might perform, and their Target Numbers. This table also provides the GM with a guideline for determining the Target Numbers of tasks not on the list because it gives him some baselines from which to compare other possible actions.
Common Modifiers
Once the GM has determined the base difficulty of the task, the next step is to apply any modifiers to the TN of the task that might apply. Usually, these will depend upon the situation. The most common modifiers apply to whether or not the character attempting the task is in a combat related situation and whether or not he has enough light to properly perform the task.
Since it is impossible to predict each and every thing that might possibly impact on a character’s ability to perform a given task, we also provide some generic modifiers that can be applied to almost any situation. They can be found on the Common Modifiers table. These generic modifiers should be applied once for each condition that affects the situation at hand.
Anwyn
