#Dice and Checks (骰子と判定)

Hana rolls dice for the first time. And fate begins to move.

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#Scent — The First Roll

Another Saturday. Rain had left the cafe quiet. Raindrops clung to the window and ran down the glass.

Kuro placed two dice on the table. Brown and white. The same ones they had seen last week.

"Today, we're going to roll these."

Hana picked up the dice. She rolled them across her palm. Ten corners. 0 through 9. Small, but weighty.

"What should I do?"

"Imagine drawing a blade," Kuro said. "There is an enemy in front of you. When you swing, you might hit, or you might miss. The dice decide that."

Hana inhaled. She imagined it. A foggy bridge. Red eyes approaching from the other side. Her hand rests on the blade. She draws.

She rolled the dice.

Brown: 7. White: 8.

"Total 15," Kuro said. "High. Your blade cuts deep into the enemy's shoulder."

Hana clenched her fist. "I hit!"

Mei smiled quietly. "That felt real. I was actually tense."

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"One more," Kuro said. "This time, you are climbing a cliff. Rain has made the rocks slippery."

Hana rolled again. 3 and 2. Total 5.

"...Did I fall?" Hana asked.

"You fell," Kuro said. "Your hand slipped from the rock and you rolled down. But you did not die — you caught on a branch."

Hana puffed her cheeks. "Can I climb again?"

"On your next turn."

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Mei's turn. Mei lifted the dice politely. Hands that had rolled CoC hundreds of times. But these were two d10s — not the d100 she knew.

"What should I do?"

"You see a vengeful spirit," Kuro said. "A transparent shadow appears before your eyes. It is terrifying. The dice decide whether your character can keep from panicking."

Mei rolled. 4 and 4.

Kuro's expression changed. "Same number."

"4 and 4... total 8," Mei said. "That's low, right?"

"The total is low. Normally, that would fail. But — the same number came up."

Hana leaned forward. "Oh, the thing you mentioned last week! A double!"

Kuro nodded. "A double. A total of 8 would normally fail, but a failed double is a 'Fumble.' The worst result."

Mei narrowed her eyes. "Critical fumble."

"Similar. Your character sees the vengeful spirit, panics, steps backward, slips on the floor, and falls. You are completely exposed."

Mei sighed. But the corner of her mouth lifted. "...That's fun."

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"One last one," Kuro said. "Hana, roll again."

Hana rolled. The dice spun across the table.

Brown: 10. White: 10.

All three looked down at the dice at the same time.

"...10 and 10," Hana whispered.

Kuro spoke slowly. "Heavenly Mandate. The will of heaven has descended. This is the most special moment in the game. Your blade pierces the enemy's vital point exactly. It feels as if time around you has stopped — and the enemy drops to one knee."

Hana picked up the dice and held them to the light. 10 and 10. Two 0 faces shone side by side.

"What's the actual chance of this?"

"Once in a hundred."

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The dice stopped on the table. Two 0 faces. Hana did not yet know what that meant. But she would remember the vibration left in her hand for a long time.

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#Law — Session Transcript

Kuro: "Let's lay out the rules. 2d10 + bonus >= Target Number. That's the basic form."

Hana: "What's a bonus?"

Kuro: "It comes from your character's attribute and skill. For example, when you swing a blade, 'Courage(勇) + Swordsmanship' becomes the bonus. If Courage is +2 and Swordsmanship is +1, the bonus is +3. Roll 2d10, add +3, and if the result is at least the Target Number, you succeed."

Mei: "What's a Target Number?"

Kuro: "It changes by situation. The base Target Number is 11. Normal difficulty. That is also the average of 2d10, so if your bonus is 0, it is about even."

Kuro: "Attacks are a little different. The enemy's 'Defense' value becomes the Target Number. An unarmored enemy is 10, and heavy armor is 14."

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Kuro: "Doubles. Mei rolled 4+4 earlier, right? If both dice show the same face, it is a double. Chance 10%."

Hana: "10+10 is what I rolled earlier! Once in a hundred!"

Kuro: "Right. 1%. When Heavenly Mandate appears in this game, the whole table stops. Everyone goes 'ah' and holds their breath. Whether the enemy is Elite-rank or Lord-rank, they kneel before Heavenly Mandate."

Mei: "Then 1+1 is the opposite."

Kuro: "Karmic Retribution. The worst. Your blade might break, or you might lose your footing. Roll on the d100 result table and see what happens."

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Kuro: "Last. Fate Intervention."

Mei: "Fate Intervention?"

Kuro: "After rolling 2d10, you can adjust one die by +-1. Uses per combat are limited — a number of times equal to your character's Fate(運) modifier. Fate+2 means 2 times per combat. Minimum 1 time."

Hana: "So Mei's 4+4 = 8 earlier... if Fate Intervention changed one die to 5, it would become 9?"

Kuro: "Right. But then the double breaks. It becomes 4+5. You can avoid the Fumble, but the total is still 9, so depending on the Target Number, it may still fail."

Mei: "Interesting. Do you keep the dramatic result of the double, or safely raise the number? It's a choice."

Kuro: "Exactly. The core of Fate Intervention is choice. When to use it, where to use it. If you spend it all before the battle ends, you can do nothing at the final moment."

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Kuro: "Summary.

1. 2d10 + bonus >= Target Number(base 11): success/failure.
2. Double(10%): success gives a Critical Hit(great success), failure gives a Fumble(disaster).
3. Heavenly Mandate(10+10)/Karmic Retribution(1+1): miracle and calamity. The 1% extreme.
4. Fate Intervention: adjust one die by +-1. A number of times per combat equal to the Fate modifier, minimum 1 use. Choice and conservation.

That's the whole dice rule. There are no other dice. d100 is used only on the Heavenly Mandate/Karmic Retribution result tables, and even that is rolled by the GM."

Hana: "That's simple. With only one kind of die, there's nothing to mix up."

Mei: "CoC uses one d100, but damage rolls use several dice. This really is only 2d10."

Kuro: "Right. That is Konsei Reiyotan's design philosophy. The complexity is in the choices, not the dice."

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Two dice. Ten faces. Infinite stories. Next week, a hero is born.