Are you familiar with any (non-OSR, non-OSR-adjacent) RPGs that use "rare rolls" for noncombat tasks?I am specifically asking about noncombat tasks here. I am not taking combat actions into consideration at all here.By "rare rolls," I mean that the game uses rolls for noncombat tasks, but the system specifically, expressly, unambiguously, explicitly states that these rolls are to be made very rarely, and only for tasks that well and truly strain heroic capacities: to the point wherein it is not unusual for an entire session to go by with zero noncombat rolls. For example, this would be a poor fit for, say, Fate, since rare rolls would make fate points and 1/session stunts too strong.The closest I know of is the GUMSHOE family of systems, which is half-randomizerless for investigative abilities, reserving dice rolls for non-investigative tasks.Tom Abaddon's grid-based tactical RPGs could theoretically be run this way, I imagine, though I am not sure it would be a clean fit.I have been running 13th Age 2e's full release for the past several months like this. I just give the PCs the benefit of the doubt and assume that they are so heroically competent that they automatically succeed at nearly everything outside of combat. I call for noncombat rolls only when: (A) the PCs are attempting something well and truly outrageous, the kind of deeds that would feature in mythological accounts, and this usually comes up only once every several sessions, or (B) a game element specifically says that a roll is required for a certain task, such as ritual casting. Most of the sessions I run are noncombat-oriented sessions with zero noncombat rolls.I find that this suits my GMing style well enough, though it is not an entirely clean fit for the system I am GMing. It makes limited-use skill check boosters too powerful, and it devalues resourceless skill monkey benefits.I am wondering if another system handles "rare rolls" for noncombat more aptly.
Isn't that how most systems are expected to be played anyway? Routine tasks don't need rolls, same as more difficult tasks where there the stakes are low. You raise the stakes and you start rolling only if the result makes a difference, and even then most of the time it's a fail forward with complication anyway. So yeah, you can skip most rolls unless you're running a raid like an action movie with no respite at all.
>>97937010>the system specifically, expressly, unambiguously, explicitly states that these rolls are to be made very rarely, and only for tasks that well and truly strain heroic capacitiesEvery RPG book I've read says this, even D&D PHB or PF2e Player Core, how it works in practice is a completely different story.In my experience, the thing that breaks that rolling rarely rule the most often is that players put portion of their PC's power budget into getting +N to their rolls for skill X and they want to use it. By rolling dice.
>>97937053This, you roll more often than intended because players want to roll, they actively ask for rolls, when someone else makes a check, they ask if they can roll as well, either to assist or to have another try at it. It's their drug.
>>97937053>Isn't that how most systems are expected to be played anyway?>Every RPG book I've read says this, even D&D PHB or PF2e Player CoreBullshit. Most systems say you don't need to roll for routine tasks but that's a far cry from saying you should only roll "very rarely" and "only for tasks that well and truly strain heroic capabilities" which is what OP's asking about.
>>97937010Most PBTA FiTD. Most story games in general. >13th age stuff You're basically running a slower version of Dungeon World at that point.
>>97937765Story games usually don't roll at all.
>>97937824Some don't like Mars Colony or Microscope. Some do like Dogs In The Vineyard or 3:16 Carnage. Varies a lot.
>>97937010I wouldn't know, sorry.
>>97937824>Story games
>>97937765>You're basically running a slower version of Dungeon World at that point.The key distinction is that I actually use the turn-based combat. In fact, I have been recording a combat diary of the campaign:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HQC2x2FfjnBDZDaicQDCLWO2-R6xMyUAa_rJcMABpfw/edit
>>97937010First one that springs to mind is Shadow of the Weird Wizard, where you just get professions that don't provide a flat bonus, and instead just state that the PC is capable of doing tasks related to that profession unless it's something particularly daunting.Even if you do have them roll, the system does a good job of curbing a GM's habit for asking for a lot of rolls, because the DC for any non-combat, non-contested roll is just a flat 10, and if the PC has a relevant profession they get a free boon to whatever they're doing, plus whatever ability score. So baseline a character has a 75% chance of doing anything they attempt anyway.It is a lot smoother when then GM's first instinct is to say "As a [blank], you can do X with no problems" whenever something isn't outright impossible.
