Advantage & Disadvantage
The outcomes of your character’s actions are shaped by many elements, encompassing environmental conditions, emotional resilience, and luck. To emulate this dynamic, Enigma introduces the concepts of advantage and disadvantage, intricately designed to modify your Capacity checks, thereby enhancing the game's interactive depth and strategic complexity. In this section, you will learn about advantages and disadvantages, when to apply their effects, and how they stack and cancel each other out.
Advantage: When circumstances favor your endeavor—strategic positioning, superior gear, bolstered morale, or supportive enchantments—you gain an advantage. This mechanic allows you to roll two dice for the capacity check and choose the higher of the two rolls, symbolizing your edge in that situation.
Example:
Player: "I'll try deciphering the door's ancient runes, referencing the archaic manuscripts we discovered".
Game Master: "Your proficiency in ancient dialects, coupled with the manuscript's guidance, grants you an advantage on this Glean check".
Player: The player rolls two dice for Glean, selecting the higher result, a 10.
Game Master: "The manuscripts illuminate the runes' meanings, causing them to emit a soft glow. The door opens, revealing a chamber brimming with lost artifacts. Your insightful Glean, empowered by the manuscripts, not only decrypts the door's secrets but also unveils a wealth of historical treasures".
Disadvantage: Conversely, when faced with challenging conditions such as injuries, harsh environments, psychological strain, or countering spells, you encounter a disadvantage. This situation requires you to roll two dice for the check and use the lower outcome, reflecting the hurdles impeding your success.
Example:
Player: "I'll attempt to stealthily bypass the guard's quarters to secure the key".
Game Master: "Despite the dim lighting, the guard's active shift change complicates stealth, imposing a disadvantage on your Navigate capacity check".
Player: Rolling two dice for Navigate, the player takes the lower result, a 3.
Game Master: "A misstep causes a creak, alerting a nearby guard. Though not caught, you must now think quickly to avoid detection”.
Stacking Effects: Advantages and disadvantages can accumulate, influencing a single capacity check. These effects offset each other—one advantage cancels out one disadvantage. If advantages outnumber disadvantages, you roll with an advantage, and vice versa. When they balance out, a standard single-die roll is made.
Example:
Player: "In negotiating with the merchant, I'll leverage our heroic reputation and my innate charm".
Game Master: "Your heroic deeds and charm provide advantages, but the merchant's skepticism introduces a disadvantage. With advantages outweighing, you roll with a net advantage for your Influence capacity check".
Player: The player rolls two dice for Influence, using the higher result, a 12.
Game Master: "The merchant, persuaded by your heroics and charm, agrees to a significant discount. 'Heroes of your caliber merit the best deals,' he remarks, solidifying your party's financial and reputational gain. This demonstrates how advantage, even when countered by some resistance, can tilt negotiations in your favor".