As outlined in the overview, the pillars of any Augur’s game utilizes the path as the system of rules that guides events and outcomes of the game. Both inside the Order of Augurs, and beyond, this system has come to be known as the Augur’s Path Core (or APC) system.
At the heart of the APC system are dice mechanics. Dice are physically and energetically connected to the fabric of motion and space, and they offer a direct and foundational response to the unknowable variables within any game reality.
The primary dice used in the APC system are six-sided dice, notated as [d6]. The players of the game cast three six-sided dice [3d6] for each action they undertake on behalf of their characters. Each action roll or [3d6] roll will yield a sum that will serve as the foundation of determining any outcome.
Players will also use secondary gaming dice as generative dice, offering values or statistics relevant to the ongoing scenario. These are polyhedral gaming dice of standard value arrangements: [d2], [d4], [d8], [d10], [d12], [d20], and [d100].
A game setting’s compendium will contain its own unique references and values for secondary dice, given the unique conditions and parameters of the setting. However, the primary dice used in the APC system serve as the same foundation for every game setting. The [3d6] action roll is used for every player character and narrator action and outcome.
The action roll is typically modified by a character’s specific attributes, training, and any situational or contextual elements that may be applicable. This ensures that the scenario takes into account both the luck of the dice and the prowess or struggles of the character. The calculated action roll that has been modified by any applicable values is known as the action test.
| Roll [3d6] and note the sum |
| + Source Attribute bonus/penalty |
| + Training Value (TV), if applicable |
| + Adjustments, if applicable |
Action tests are measured against a difficulty value (DV) which will be determined either by the narrator based on the context of the scenario, or by other elements of the character’s attributes or readiness. When the narrator determines the difficulty of an action it will be at their discretion based on how they categorize the action, as shown in this chart.
| Effortless (DV 4) | Easy (DV 8) |
| Balanced (DV 10) | Standard (DV 12) |
| Heightened (DV 14) | Challenging (DV 16) |
| Improbable (DV 18) | Impossible (DV 20+) |
A player’s action test must exceed the DV of the action to determine a successful outcome. Successful outcomes often call for the use of secondary dice to finalize some aspects of the encounter or scenario. The narrator must consider progression and reward to be attached to successful actions whenever plausible for the scenario.
When the action test ties the DV, this is known as a “close call.” A player can simply choose to treat a close call action as a failure, or they may choose to claim success at the risk of fumble on their next action. See “Mediating Actions” for more details.
If the total of the action test is less than the DV, the action fails and may also call for the use of secondary dice or additional mediation from the narrator as the scenario continues. The narrator must consider obstacle and hindrance to be attached to failed actions whenever plausible for the scenario.
The collective of characters may wish to help one another in a given action. In these instances, each player offers an action roll, and the highest sum of these rolls is modified by the highest source attribute and training values from across the collective of characters who are participating in the task. If a collective action succeeds the narrator may wish to give bonus adjustments to future action tests as a collective morale boost. If the collective fails, the narrator may wish to offer penalty adjustments to future action tests as a loss of morale.
Every action undertaken by a character will be imagined as extending from a source attribute. In a game’s compendium these source attributes are established within the setting, but often the players and the narrator will discuss what the source attribute might be for a given action. See “Source Attributes and Adjustments” for more details.
The APC System, at its most fundamental level, uses dice mechanics in action tests measured against difficulty values to establish the outcomes of player-driven character actions. This structure alone is enough to mediate the outcomes of many success vs. failure scenarios. However, this is only the root of the path. The following sections outline how the APC System nuances elements of game play to facilitate the evocation of a variety of complex scenarios within any given setting.