Rolling Dice

Any time the Storyteller asks you to roll for something, they'll tell you what stat to use, or ideally, you know your Moves well enough that you know which numbers go where. Regardless of the result, the narrative moves forward. In general, you will never roll more than once per action. That single roll determines the degree of success of your efforts. In Coterie, there are a few types of rolls, but 95% of them will be as follows:

Basic Roll ("Roll +[stat]") = 2d6 + stat modifier + any relevant modifiers (bonuses/penalties)

Outcomes & Degrees of Success:

• 2-: Critical Failure (Storyteller makes a Move & it may take the roller by surprise)
• 6-: Failure (Storyteller makes a Move; either Soft or Hard — don't laugh)
• 7–9: Mixed Success (you manage it but incur complications or costs)
• 10+: Success (you do what you set out to do, good job!)
• 12+: Critical Success (many Moves have special 12+ results; otherwise treat as 10+)

Roll Modifiers¶

Sometimes, the Storyteller or a Move you have will modify a roll you make in some way. There are four types of modifiers: Forward, Ongoing, Advantage, and Disadvantage.

Forward & Ongoing¶

±x Forward: Apply x to your next roll only, then the modifier is gone. Sometimes, it will only apply to specific types of rolls, like Wits or Blood.

±x Ongoing: Apply x to all relevant rolls until a specified condition ends the modifier (e.g., "until the scene ends" or "until you take Harm").

Advantage & Disadvantage¶

With Advantage: Roll 3d6 instead of 2, ignore the lowest result.

With Disadvantage: Roll 3d6 instead of 2, ignore the highest result.

Other Rolls: Sometimes you'll be told to roll a Hunger or Remorse Check with Advantage/Disadvantage. Since these are single-die rolls, roll the d6 twice and take the higher result for Advantage or the lower result for Disadvantage.

To Roll or Not To Roll¶

Not every action a character takes requires a roll. In fact, the less often you roll, the fewer opportunities there are for things to go sideways. Let's use the following example of Johnny Fangs. He's a Fledgling vampire who's been invited to a mortal house party by a young woman he met a few nights ago at a bar. He doesn't really know anybody there besides her. Johnny is a Consensualist, which means he feeds from a small handful of trustworthy humans who willingly agree to be fed upon. Most mortals find the sensation quite pleasant... with some exceptions.

In this first example, you'll notice several key things, some of which are explained above. Johnny's actions may or may not trigger Moves, which are capitalized and bolded, representing rules that tell you when/how to roll and what happens. One such Move has a mechanic called Hold, which is a temporary expendable resource you can use to gather information or nudge things towards your success. There is also a Hunger Check, a special type of roll explained in the Hunger section. Additionally, you'll see the term "+Wits" which refers to one of Coterie's 5 character stats: Blood, Shadow, Resolve, Demeanor, and Wits. These are explained in greater detail in the Basic Moves and Individual Stats sections.

Johnny Fangs: After going through my wardrobe, I put on what I think are my most fashionable clothes: a pair of scraggly black jeans and a denim vest covered in patches and pins. I'm going to double-check that none of my Coterie wants to come along, and then I want to take the bus to the party, combing my pompadour the entire way.

Storyteller: Okay, great! You think you look pretty presentable, and your Coterie seems to agree but have already fed tonight. You're on your own. As you step outside into the evening, you see that the bus you needed to catch is already leaving your stop! What do you do?

Johnny: Oh dang! I'm not gonna be late for this party, but I can't turn into a bat or nothing. I want to just run as fast as I can and catch it!

Storyteller: Johnny, my boy, you are a creature of the night, fleet of foot and shiny of hairdo. You dart forward, zooming past some hedges, and manage to knock on the door at 20 miles per hour. The driver looks irritated and a little confused, but stops and opens the doors. You climb onto the bus and the driver gives you an annoyed grunt, but 12 minutes later, you find yourself standing outside a two-story house with bassy music thudding from inside. There are drunk people hanging out on the front porch smoking weed and cigarettes, but the front door is wide open — a clear invitation. Your stomach gurgles.

Johnny: I'm gonna walk inside, and as I do, I focus for a moment and send blood pumping around my body to hopefully appear a bit less gaunt and sickly than usual, and so I can drink beer without puking. I want to slide in, grab a beer, and look around for Katie. Do I see her?

Storyteller: Go ahead and roll 1d6 for a Hunger Check for drawing on your Blush of Life; you're at 2 Hunger right now, so just roll a 3 or higher and you're good. And yeah, you see Katie straight ahead down the hall. She's with a small group of people and is laughing at a joke somebody made. The beer tastes awful, but you can't tell if that's because it's not blood or because it's a Blud Lite™.

Johnny: Aw man, I got a 2! My gut grumbles again — I'll add +1 Hunger, bringing me up to 3. Old Johnny Fangs has to live up to his name. At least I look okay! I'm going to approach the group and wave at Katie. Does it look like now is a good time to talk to her? Ideally in private, behind a locked door, where nobody will notice local handsome guy Johnny Fangs consensually biting her neck?

Storyteller: Steady on there, Romeo. I see what you're getting at. Go ahead and roll +Wits to Discern Vibes before I answer any questions.

Johnny: Okay, rolled a 9, but Johnny's got +2 to Wits, so 11! I'll Hold 3, but I'm gonna burn one right now to ask... how does Katie really feel about me?

Storyteller: You catch Katie's eye down the hall as you sip your nasty beer — your Blush of Life is the only thing letting you keep it down. You see her mentally check out of the conversation around her, focusing only on you and your dashing pompadour. She holds your gaze for a moment too long, then glances away coyly before looking back and gesturing with her head towards the nearby staircase leading to the second floor. Katie scoots past the group, excusing herself, and silently struts up the stairs ahead of you. What do you do?

Johnny: Jeez... well, I follow her, of course! We texted about this earlier and, if it still worked, my heart would be racing. "Johnny Fangs!"

Storyteller: Dude, you can't just say your name like it's a catchphrase — that's my thing. STORYTELLER! Anyway, you trot to the top of the stairs, and she pulls you one-handed into the bathroom, whispering "Hey there Johnny. Bet I taste a hell of a lot better than beer."

Johnny's adventure will continue throughout as examples of play in other sections. Keep reading to see what happens with Katie!