SUCCESS AND FAILURE

Keep the following in mind when you describe the impact of a Check:

• Never subvert the outcome. No matter the premise, the outcome of the Check must be applied for what it is. No one at the table can turn a failure into a success and vice versa: otherwise, why would dice be rolled in the first place?
• Relevant success. If a character succeeds at a Check, they have confronted the odds and emerged victorious. The Game Master shouldn't call for further Checks to “confirm” their success: they have earned it.

  If you think an objective requires multiple Checks, use a Clock (see page 52).

• No do-overs. Just like a success should not require further confirmation, a failure means you can't "try again" unless the situation is drastically altered in some way.

OPTIONAL: SUCCESS AT A COST

This rule allows Player Characters to turn failure into success, but it comes at a steep price. When a character fails a Check, anyone may propose a success at a cost. The Game Master can make adjustments to the cost as they see fit, and then the Player who performed the Check can accept or refuse.

When determining whether a given cost would be appropriate, remember that it should put the character in a rough spot or take something important away from them. If a cost can be remedied with little effort, something is wrong.

Back to the previous example: The High Master might listen to Brigid's reasons, but only if she publicly apologizes and admits that Relde's scholars are better than her.

You cannot succeed at a cost if your character fumbled the Check. When you succeed at a cost, the Check's High Roll and Result remain the same.