In this scenario, a trio of adventurers want to scale the 40-foot-high walls surrounding a castle known as the Star Chamber, hoping to covertly obtain information about their enemy, Lady Morgant.
Director (Matt): The towering walls that surround the Star Chamber stand before you, the single iron gate closed and locked, with a platoon of armed guards outside.
James (playing Korvo, a shadow): Let’s move to the side of the wall opposite the gate and make our ascent there.
Grace (playing Val, a conduit): Agreed.
Director: Okay. It’ll be a Might test to get up to the top of the wall.
The Director knows that the walls around the Star Chamber, the headquarters of the evil knights Lady Morgant leads, are smooth and hard to climb, designed to repel invaders. The test’s difficulty is hard, but the Director keeps that information a secret for now.
Alyssa (playing Jorn, a tactician): Let me go first. I’ve got good Might and can throw the others down a rope once I’m up there. And I’ve got the Climb skill.
Director: For sure. Okay, roll it up.
Alyssa rolls 2d10 and gets a 13. She then adds her Might score of 2 and her +2 bonus for having an applicable skill to the roll, for a total of 17.
Alyssa: A 17! That’s tier 3, baby!
The Director checks the Test Difficulty Outcomes table to confirm that a tier 3 outcome is a success on a hard test.
Director: Okay, you’re on top of the wall. You notice a few guards patrolling atop the opposite side of the wall in the distance, but they’re looking out at the city right now.
Alyssa: Great! I toss down a rope. Val, you’re next.
Grace: So it’s a Might test. Would you let me use Endurance? It’s a lot of physical exertion to climb.
Director: It’s not a climb that would take you hours, so I don’t think Endurance applies here. But hey, the rope does make this an easier test.
Grace: Fair. Okay, dice. Let’s do this.
Given the rope, the Director decides that this second climb attempt is an easy test. Grace rolls 2d10 and gets an 11. With her Might score of 2, that’s a 13.
Grace: 13! That’s a tier 2 outcome for Val.
The Director checks the Test Difficulty Outcomes table once more, confirming that a tier 2 outcome is a success on an easy test.
Director: Good news! You make it to the top of the wall alongside Jorn.
James: Ah, crap. I have a Might of −1 and no skills to use. Unless I can Intimidate the rope into lifting me up?
Director: Wishful thinking.
Alyssa: What if Korvo grabs onto the rope and I lift him up while he just hangs on for the ride?
Director: Sure. That’ll be a Might test if Korvo’s down for it.
James: Nothing risked, nothing saved. Let’s do it. Just be careful. Any loud noises could attract those guards.
Alyssa: Please. I’m a pro. Since I’m lifting this polder off the ground, does the Lift skill apply?
Director: Yes, it does. Roll it up. That’s a medium difficulty test.
Lifting the diminutive polder, Alyssa rolls 2d10-but gets a 2! With her Might score and Lift skill bonus of +2, the total is 6.
Alyssa: A 6! Oof. That’s tier 1.
Director: Which is a failure, but with no consequence. You realize you just can’t lift Korvo off the ground without making a lot of noise.
The Director then decides to make the failure potentially more interesting, by allowing the players to decide if they want a failure without consequence or a success with a consequence.
Director: I’ll give you a choice, though. You can leave Korvo on the ground, or pull him up and suffer the consequence of making some noise while doing so.
Grace: Ah, pull the polder up.
Alyssa: Yeah. We have to face these guards sometime.
James: Thanks for not leaving me behind!
Director: As Jorn yanks Korvo off the ground and pulls him up to the top of the wall, a guard turns a bullseye lantern your way, calling out, “Who goes there?”