System Examples

Below are concise examples showing how popular RPG mechanics can be modelled with this notation. Feel free to tweak die sizes or modifiers to suit variant house-rules.

Dungeons & Dragons 5e – Advantage / Disadvantage

  • Normal roll – `d20`

  • Advantage – `2d20k1` (roll two d20 and keep the higher)

  • Disadvantage – `2d20kl1` (keep the lower)

Call of Cthulhu 7e – Percentile Skill Checks

Assuming a Skill value of 65

  • Regular skill check – `(d100) <= 65` (returns `1` on success, `0` on failure)
    Alternative counting-success form: `d100<65`

  • Bonus die (Advantage) – `min(d%, d%) <= 65` (roll two percentile dice, keep the lower tens digit)

  • Penalty die (Disadvantage) – `max(d%, d%) <= 65`

Shadowrun-style Dice Pools

  • 10-dice pool, hits on 5 + – `10d6>5` (counts the number of 5s and 6s)

  • Exploding sixes (Edge) – `10d6!>4`

Savage Worlds – Trait & Wild Die

Trait die d8, Wild die d6, both explode, keep the best result:

`{1d8!, 1d6!}k1`

Fate Core

Skill roll +3 – `4dF + 3`

These examples highlight how grouping (`{}`), keep/drop (`k` / `kl`), success targets (`>`,`<`), exploding (`!`) and comparison expressions combine to recreate many system-specific mechanics.

More fun at the table, less fuss around it

The tavern falls quiet. You spent all week on this villain: the scarred voice, the secret letter, the slow reveal in the final act. Your players have other plans. They have just set fire to the only bridge out of town, the paladin is deep in an argument with a goat, and the rogue has quietly pocketed the letter that was supposed to unravel everything. Somewhere across the river, your villain stands alone in the rain, waiting for an entrance that will never come. The bard leans back, grinning. Four faces turn to you.

What do
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