[In a Wicked Age] Help me understand dice matching

[hix]

I'm enjoying reading through the game, but the "Dice, Action & Consequences" chapter still baffles me after several readings.

My basic confusion is whether the person who is answering compares one die or a total of all their dice to the person they're trying to match.

To take the example on page 14:

"If your higher die doubles my 9..." makes it pretty obvious that you compare your highest die to the opposition's.

"If your dice match mine or better..." implies that you add all of your dice together and compare them to the opposition's highest die.

"If your dice don't match mine..." implies that you add all of your dice together and compare them to the opposition's highest die.

"If your higher die is half mine or less..." makes it pretty obvious that you compare your highest die to the opposition's.

I'd appreciate your help in understanding this.

[Moreno R.]

When there are no advantage dice in the roll, you compare the highest rolled die to the highest rolled die, and if they are tied you compare then the lowest dices

When advantage dice (the d6 with pips) are in the roll, they are added to the highest rolled die, and then the sum is compared to the highest rolled die (or the highest rolled die + advantage die) of the opponent. If they are tied, you compare then the lowest dice (without adding the advantage dice already rolled)

When the book says "If your dice match mine or better", I think it's because you don't throw away the lowest die after you roll. It's the COMPLETE roll that is matched using the rules above) to the complete roll of your opponent. Sometimes the lowest die counts, sometime not.

[Alan]

Steve,

Normally you roll 2 dice and compare the highest from each roll. A particular strength may provide a third die to choose from. Advantage dice add only to the highest single die.

So if you roll 10,1 and I roll 5,5 we only compare the 10 and the 5 and you've doubled me.

If you roll 8,1 and I roll 8,2 then we use the second (and sometimes third) die to break the tie.

When there's a tie for high die, I find it useful to think in terms of powers of ten. I roll 10,5 and you roll 10,6 we're comparing 105 to 106. If I had an advantage die and rolled 7+3,5 and you roll 10, 6 that still works out to 105 to 106.

[Lance D. Allen]

When there's a tie for high die, I find it useful to think in terms of powers of ten. I roll 10,5 and you roll 10,6 we're comparing 105 to 106. If I had an advantage die and rolled 7+3,5 and you roll 10, 6 that still works out to 105 to 106.

Alan,

That is an imminently practical way to look at it. I'm pretty sure I understood it from earlier play and examples, but this crystalizes my understanding.

[lumpley]

Yep.

-Vincent

[hix]

Thanks guys, your answers have been helpful and I think they've helped me locate the source of my confusion.

I roll 10,5 and you roll 10,6 we're comparing 105 to 106.

Once the second die comes into play, is the person who rolled 10,5 trying to double 16 (the total of the two dice), 10 (the highest die), or 6 (the lowest die)?

[Alan]

You have to double the highest die. If that ties, there's no chance of doubling anything.

[lumpley]

Check the first section on page 16. You want your high die to double my high die, low dice irrelevant.

On page 23, I'm going to add a new first item to the "when you compare dice" list: compare high dice; use low dice only to break ties.

-Vincent

[hix]

Thanks everyone for your patient responses.

Vincent, I think that change clarifies things.

I'm also wondering if there's potentially a clearer way of phrasing the 'When you compare dice' instructions.  For instance, on page 14 (in the 'Your answer' section) does a phrasing like this capture your intention better?

"If your highest die matches mine my highest die or better, but not by double, then Amek takes the advantage,..."

Alan, I thought this was an excellent observation.

You have to double the highest die. If that ties, there's no chance of doubling anything. 

It took me a night of physically rolling a whole bunch of different pairs of dice to figure out the truth of that.