Percentage-Based Task Resolution

by Christian Conkle
conkle@mecha.com

I have often admired percentile based game systems for their simplicity. There is no addition, no quick calculation of difficulties, only the pure roll of two little decahedrons. To streamline my Cyberpunk 2020 game and to give more of a Chaosium feel to the game, I recommend using a percentile task resolution system. This system figures on a base 20 difficulty for most actions with easier actions receiving a percentile bonus and harder ones receiving a penalty.

Heck, why stop at percentiles, you can also just roll a twenty-sided die and any result less than your stat+skill total is a success. Personally, I like the elegance of a percentile over the clunkiness of the d20, also, most statistics are given in percentages, making them easy to roll.

This system speeds up play, in my opinion, and doesnt adversely affect the rules of the game. The basic rules are the same, only the execution of them are different. Tell me what you think.