Ability Checks

An ability check represents a faction's ability to overcome a challenge. The GM calls for an ability check when a faction, or a faction member, attempts an action that has a chance of failure. When the outcome is uncertain, the dice determine the results.

For every ability check, the GM decides which of the 6 abilities is relevant to the task at hand and the difficulty of the task, represented by Difficulty Class. The more difficult a task, the higher its DC. The Typical Difficulty Classes table shows the most common DCs.

To make an ability check, roll a d20 and add the relevant ability modifier. As with other d20 rolls, apply bonuses and penalties, and compare the total to the DC. If the total equals or exceeds the DC, the ability check is a success-the faction, or faction member, overcomes the challenge at hand. Otherwise, it's a failure, which means the faction or faction member makes no progress toward the objective or makes progress combined with a setback determined by the GM.

Contests

Sometimes one faction's or faction member's efforts are directly opposed to another's. This can occur when both of them are trying to do the same thing and only one can succeed, such as accepting a mission reward from a third party. This situation also applies when one of them is trying to prevent the other one from accomplishing a goal—for example, when a faction is trying to usurp control or influence from another faction. In situations like these, the outcome is determined by a special form of ability check, called a contest.

Both participants in a contest make ability checks appropriate to their efforts. They apply all appropriate bonuses and penalties, but instead of comparing the total to a DC, they compare the totals of their two checks. The participant with the higher check total wins the contest. That faction or faction member either succeeds at the action or prevents the other one from succeeding.

If the contest results in a tie, the situation remains the same as it was before the contest. Thus, one contestant might win the contest by default. If two faction members tie in a contest to accept a mission reward, neither character grabs it. In a contest between a faction trying to usurp control or influence from another faction, a tie means control or influence is not usurped.

Ability Check DCs

Passive Checks

A passive check is a special kind of ability check that doesn't involve any die rolls. Such a check can represent the average result for a task done repeatedly, such as a faction and its member's normal vigilance, or can be used when the GM wants to secretly determine whether a faction succeeds at something without rolling dice, such as noticing a spy.

Here's how to determine a character's total for a passive check:

10 + all modifiers that normally apply to the check. If the faction has advantage on the check, add 5. For disadvantage, subtract 5. The game refers to a passive check total as a score.

For example. if a 1st-tier faction has a Wisdom of 15 and proficiency in Wisdom, it has a passive Wisdom score of 14.

The rules on spying in the "Espionage" section below rely on passive checks.

Working Together

Sometimes two or more factions team up to attempt a task. The faction who's leading the effort, or the one with the highest ability modifier, can make an ability check with advantage, reflecting the help provided by the other faction.

A faction can only provide help if the task is one that he or she could attempt alone. For example, attempting to mass produce a type of blaster requires members with proficiency with armstech's tools, so a faction whose members lack that proficiency can't help another faction in that task. Moreover, a faction can help only when two or more factions working together would actually be productive.

trying to open a lock requires proficiency with thieves' tools, so a character who lacks that proficiency can't help another character in that task. Moreover. a character can help only when two or more individuals working together would actually be productive. Some tasks are no easier with help.