Neverwhere D6: Game Mechanics

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THE BASICS

This game is based on West End Game's D6 system, specifically its Star Wars Role-Playing Game. I recommend picking up an old Star Wars rule book (available at some game stores and on many online auctions) or WEG's new Metabarons game to fill in gaps that I don't cover here. If you have any questions or comments, please email me and I'll try to answer them for you.

GAME MECHANICS

The Dice
The system requires players to roll six-sided dice (D6), which represent a character's attributes and skills. When appropriate, the Game Master will tell a player to roll a number of dice equal to either the attribute or skill being used. The player rolls the appropriate number of dice, adds the values together and tells the GM the sum. If the sum is equal to or greater than the difficulty number (See below), the character succeeds. If it is lower, the character fails.

Example: Grimm is trying to walk along a thin ledge without falling. He has a Dexterity of 3D. The GM sets a difficulty number and then the player controlling Grimm will roll 3 dice and sum the results to see if he is successful.
Example 2: Grimm is trying to find a secret door at the end of an old tunnel. The GM tells the player to roll Grimm's Search skill (2d+2). Grimm rolls two six-sided dice and adds 2 to the resulting sum.

The Wild Die
Each player should designate one of his or her dice to be the Wild Die (it is helpful if it's a different color or shape).

Whenever the Wild Die comes up with a 2,3,4, or 5, add the result to the other dice as normal. But, if the Die comes up with a 6, add 6 to the dice total and roll the Wild Die again and add the new value to the dice total. If another 6 comes up, roll and add again. This continues as long as the player continues to roll 6's on the Wild Die.

Example: Grimm has a Crossbow skills of 4D. When he fires, he rolls 4 dice. His values are 2,5,3 and on the Wild Die, a 6, resulting in 16. He rolls the Wild Die again and gets another 6! The total is now 22 and he gets to roll again. This time, he gets a 1 and adds that to the sum to get a 23 for his shot.

If the Wild Die comes up with a 1 when a character is first rolling a Skill or Attribute Check, roll the Wild Die again. If the value is 1 through 5, remove the Wild Die and the die with the highest value from the dice to be added.

Example: Grimm is firing his crossbow again. He rolls a 2,5,6 and on the Wild Die a 1. He rerolls the Wild Die and gets a 2. He removes the Wild Die and the die that came up 6 and adds the remaining two dice together to get 7.

If the second Wild Die roll comes up to be a 6, then the character has Complicated. He or she has screwed up in a particularly bad way....perhaps dropping his weapon down into a sewer grating or twisting an ankle while trying to dodge. Complications should make a character's life more difficult, but never kill them outright.

Example: Grimm is running away from a pair of assassins through dark, wet tunnels crowded with old trash. The GM has him make a running roll with a difficulty of 10 to avoid tripping over a pile of debris. Grimm, with a Running skill of 4D, rolls 4 dice. He gets a 2, 2,3 and on the Wild Die a 1. He rerolls the Wild and gets a 6! He not only fails but complicates. The GM tells him that he trips over the pile and lands on his face, dropping his weapon into the depths of the muck. He'll have to spend a round looking for the weapon or leave it behind.

The GM could have just as well said that Grimm got a muscle cramp and is -1D to all Dexterity actions for the next 5 rounds, or that he is stunned for the next round--anything that makes Grimm's life a little scarier.

Difficulty Numbers
When a character makes an Attribute or Skill check, they are usually rolling against a difficulty number. Difficulties are divided into the following categories:

Difficulty	Difficulty Numbers	Description
Very Easy	1-5	Anyone should be able to do this most of the time. Example: Running on a flat, dry surface.
Easy	6-10	Most characters should be able to do this most of the time, though there is still a change for failure. Example: Running on a flat surface when it's dry, but with a few obstacles around.
Moderate	11-15	Requires a fair amount of skill and/or effort. Most unskilled characters will fail such an attempt. Example: Running on a wet surface that provides a bit of traction.
Difficult	16-20	Only highly skilled characters succeed at these with any regularity. Example: Running through a muck-covered tunnel with various obstacles.
Very Difficult	21-30	Even pros have a hard time pulling these attempts off. Example: Running through a dim, wet, slippery tunnel that is laden with debris.
Heroic	30-50	Only the luckiest and most skilled are successful. Example: Running through that same dim, wet, slippery tunnel that is laden with debris, only this time while carrying one of your unconscious buddies on your shoulders.
Unearthly	50-75	A character must have magical abilities in order to even think of attempting such an action. Example: This is the stuff of legends: firing a crossbow bolt into the minuscule weak point of a god's armor; surviving beneath a massive cave-in, etc.
Impossible	75+	Requires godlike magical abilities to manage (or at least godlike luck...). Example: It can only be described as altering reality...

Opposed Rolls
When a character is testing his or her Attributes or Skills against those of another (PC or NPC), the parties involved make Opposed Rolls. The one with the highest roll wins.

Example: One character tries to shoot another with a crossbow. The first makes a Crossbow roll while the other makes a Dodge roll. If the attacker's roll is higher than the others' Dodge, then he hits.

Character Points A character may spend his or her Character Points to gain additional dice during an action. They receive an additional die for each point spent. A character may spend up to 3 CP's per action or attack, and up to 5 CP's for any defensive action (Dodging, Strength rolls versus damage, etc.). If the die purchased with a CP comes up a 6, the player may re-roll it and add the new value to the total (as for the Wild Die, though there is no penalty for rolling a 1).

Example: Grimm gets shot by a villain with a crossbow for 23 points of damage. Grimm rolls his Constitution of 3D and gets a 10. That's 13 points below the damage level, which is Mortally Wounded. Grimm's player decides to spend some Character Points. He spends one for an additional die and gets a 5, reducing the difference to 8, meaning Grimm is Wounded. The player decides to spend an additional CP and rolls a 6! He gets to roll again and gets a 4, which means his Constitution roll is 2 over the damage roll. Grimm suffers no damage from the attack!

Character Points may not be used the same round a Chi Point is used.

Chi Points
Chi represents a character's inner strength and connection with supernatural powers. When a character spends a Chi point, all skill and attribute dice totals are doubled for the round in which the point is spent. Anything that is not part of a character (a weapon or vehicle), is not affected.

Example 1: Grimm is in hand-to-hand combat with another Bravo. He decides to spend a Chi point one round. His Martial Arts is normally 5D. This round, it goes to 10D! For purposes of damage, his Strength doubles from 3D to 6D!
Example 2: Grimm is in a fight with an enemy and decides to spend a Chi Point. His Crossbow skill doubles from 4D to 8D, but the damage from the crossbow (5D) remains the same.

See Characters: Chi for rules about using and regaining Chi. Remember, Chi may not be used the same round Character Points are spent.

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The book Neverwhere is copyright Neil Gaiman, the TV series was copyright to the BBC, and the gaming system is copyright West End Games. This site is wholly unauthorized. Please don't sue me.

August 2002