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In this chapter, players are introduced to how the game works mechanically. Parts of this chapter have been reproduced in the PLAYER REFERENCE SHEET and the REFEREE CHEAT SHEET.
There are three (3) kinds of dice that are used to either determine success (or failure) or develop encounters, challenges, and locales that IHLs will deal with in-game. The first, and most common, is the six-sided die (referred to as a d6). The scores produced on a singular d6 range from one (1) to six (6). The second, again a common die, is the ten-sided die (referred to as a d10). This die has ten sides, which produce results from one (1) to ten (represented as 0, sometimes 10). The final dice type used in Pursuing the Dream is a hundred-sided die (referred to as a d100). This die, comprised of two ten-sided dice (see below), produces results ranging from zero (represented as 00 on two ten-sided dice) up to ninety-nine (99). Lower is always better on a d100.
There are often two kinds of ten-sided dice sold at game shops, online retailers, and elsewhere. A standard ten-sided die has results between 01 and 10 (which is represented as a zero (0) on a single, standard d10). It has become increasingly common in game shop dice sets to see a d10 that has 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0, and a second, accompanying d10 with 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 00. A combination of 00 and 0 should still be read as a zero (0) score (see table below).
| d10 (Tens) | d10 (Ones) | d100 (Score) |
|---|---|---|
| 00 | 0 | 0 |
| 00 | 1 | 01 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 90 | 9 | 99 |
| 9 | 9 | 99 |
| 1 | 1 | 11 |
| 50 | 9 | 59 |
| 3 | 8 | 38 |
| 20 | 0 | 20 |
| 2 | 0 | 20 |
Dice are referred to through their shorthand dice notations: e.g., d6 (six-sided die), d10 (ten-sided die), and d100 (a hundred-sided die). If more than one form of die is required it will be presented in this way: 3d6 (three six-sided dice), 2d10 (two ten-sided dice), etc. You might be asked to add, subtract, or multiple your roll results: 3d6+2 (roll three six-sided dice and add two the results), 1d10-1 (Roll a ten-sided die and subtract one from the results), or d100x5 (roll a hundred-sided die and multiply the results by five).
A d100, comprised of two (2) ten-sided dice, which designates one ten-sided die as the tens digit (say a red or black die) and the other as the ones digit (say a white or blue die), is the main die for resolving conflict, completing tasks, etc., outside of critical thinking, problem-solving, and roleplaying abilities in Pursuing the Dream.
00 is always read as zero (0) and not as one hundred (100). The lowest numeric score possible is zero (0), and the highest numeric score is ninety-nine (99).
When rolling a d100 in Pursuing the Dream, lower is always better. Lower dice rolls mean more impactful successes. Higher tends to mean more problematic failures. 00 is an automatic success. In most cases, 99 is considered an automatic failure.
Everything an IHL might attempt that could result in consequential failure is resolved by testing one of six (6) attributes stats using a d100. To successfully test an attribute stat, an IHL’s players must roll below or equal to the stat in question on a d100 (referred to as a target number). For example, (say) an IHL is having trouble with its computers and needs to resolve this before serious problems occur. The referee rules that the IHL’s players must make an Infrastructure (INFR) check, using the INFR stat score as the target number. This IHL has a score of 75 for INFR, which means the players must roll below or equal to 75 on the d100 to succeed. The players fail their attribute test if they roll higher than this score of 75.
The core mechanic can be complicated by adding in modifiers for difficulty. These difficulty modifiers either act as bonuses (raising the target number) or penalties (lowering the target number). For example, the same Infrastructure (INFR) test could be made easier, as the task is quite trivial, meaning the referee might raise the target ceiling by (say) positive ten (+10) points. This would then mean the IHL players would need to score an 85 or lower to succeed. However, this INFR test might be complicated and made difficult by lowering the target number, especially if the referee believes the task is anything but trivial. So, the INFR check might be given a negative ten (-10) modifier, meaning it is a Great (-10) challenge on the table found below: The check would then need to be passed by rolling a 65 or lower.
An IHL’s resources and characteristics can add or subtract additional modifiers, which result in bonuses or penalties depending on the context.
Below referees will find the difficulty modifiers and their associated descriptors. Task examples have been offered as well.
Please Note: The task examples are not exhaustive, but they are representative.
| Difficulty Descriptor | Difficulty Modifier | Task Example |
|---|---|---|
| Nearly Impossible | -60 (or higher) | Convince the state’s legislature to improve funding models so they are equitable, especially for rural and underfunded IHLs within the state. |
| Legendary | -50 | Restore campus network after major cyberattack via e-mail-based ransomware. |
| Epic | -40 | Complete last-minute, highly competitive grant application process and get the grant for the school! |
| Fantastic | -30 | Repair IHL’s roof after torrential floods and apocalyptic hail damage and remain open for students and members of the community. |
| Superb | -20 | Switch all courses to some form of online educational mode due to unforeseen pandemic. |
| Great | -10 | Coordinate with other institutions statewide to adopt new curriculum changes mandated by the state’s DHL. |
| Fair | -5 | Find adequate training for faculty and staff concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion. |
| Mundane | +/- 0 | Maintain adequate paperwork for reporting purposes. |
| Simple | +5/+10/+15 | Provide a large number of students with an adequate (and exciting) campus tour. |
| Effortless | +30 (or higher) No Dice Rolls Needed. Roleplay Required. Automatic Success If Roleplay Is Convincing. | Clean up trash after rowdy community members who used campus for a weekend convention. |
There are additional modifiers that can be added or subtracted from the target number calculated by the referee. These modifiers can be as low as minus thirty (-30) or as high as plus thirty (+30). These are similar in vain as a foot wedge in golf. Play in by ear and go from there.
Below players will find a table cataloging all possible dice roll combinations for a d100, including doubles. Lower rolls are always better when it comes to d100 results in Pursuing the Dream. However, rolling a double can unlock special bonuses or penalties, depending on the context.
Please Note: The referee has the final say on how doubles are used within the game. Doubles are a great way to encourage participation and get players excited about rolling dice and participating in the game. Doubles can make the game more intense, and they grab players’ collective attention. It is recommended that referees use doubles to engage and add tension in gameplay.
The table below offers referees a guide to navigating dice rolls on a d100, along with those critical failures/successes known as doubles.
Let’s say players are asked to roll a d100. The referee stipulates the challenge in question requires a sixty-five (65) or lower in the d100. The player in question acknowledges this and then proceeds to roll an eighty-eight (88), which is two (2) levels above the target score. In this context, the referee decides to offer a penalty, saying the player in question managed to not only fail but also critically fail at the task or challenge in question by two (2) levels.
Now, let’s say the player in question has been asked to roll a forty-five (45) or lower on a d100 to determine the success of a given task or challenge handed down by the referee. The player acknowledges this and then proceeds to roll an eleven (11). This, using the table above, is three (3) levels lower than what was needed, meaning serious bonuses are likely to result from this critical success.
Success, in Pursuing the Dream, is simple. It means one of three things have happened: The IHL in question has successfully used players’ problem-solving and critical thinking abilities to tackle a given challenge or task handed down by the referee. Or, the IHL in question has roleplayed out the situation and done so to the satisfaction (and possible amusement) of the referee. Or, the IHL has offered a chancy solution requiring dice to be rolled in front of the referee. The dice roll is successful, and, therefore, the IHL has succeeded.
Succeeding means the IHL is awarded a given number of victory points. More victory points should be awarded based on the difficulty of the task at hand. Success also means there are positive (and impactful) consequences for the IHL in question.
Those IHLs who rolled 00 on the d100, or a double that is lower than the target number, are given special bonuses (and possibly extra victory points), depending on the referee’s discretion.
Success is always followed up with chaos. The referee will need to roll up to three (3) six-sided dice to determine what sort of chaos is heading the IHL’s way. (More on this in below and under the [04: Refereeing the Game]({% link referee.md %}) chapter.)
Failure, in Pursuing the Dream means an IHL has rolled above the target number calculated by the referee. As with success, failure has consequences. The referee, who determines what consequences are appropriate for the given failure, determines these. Chaos always follows failure, so be prepared.
Also: Those IHLs that roll a 99 have automatically failed at their given task. Chaos always follows failure. The referee will need to roll up to three (3) six-sided dice to determine what sort of chaos is heading the IHL’s way.
Victory points are the rewards IHLs seek to win the game. Victory points are awarded for successes. However, victory points can be used to purchase new college characteristics, resources, and/or newly rolled attribute stats, which makes succeeding at challenges and tasks and winning even easier.
Victory points are a fungible asset that can be used to make gambles that may pay off in a big way for IHLs. For example, an IHL suffering from budget drain due to administrative bloat could use their victory points to change this characteristic for their IHL. This can be done during Phase 02 of gameplay.
Victory points can also be used to influence important dice rolls. The cost for manipulating dice rolls depends on the difficulty and the referee’s discretion.
Victory points might be used to influence the completion of tasks or challenges handed down by the referee. These points can be used to ask for hints, guidance, and/or automatic success, depending on the number of points spent by a given IHL. Again, this can be done at the referee’s discretion.
While victory points can be gained throughout gameplay, victory points can be lost due to failure, inaction, and discord. This is left up to the referee’s discretion.
In the sections that follow, the referees (and those other players reviewing this manual) will be introduced to those foundational stats and information pertinent to getting at the essence of each institution of higher learning in Deseret. It is best to remember these stats and informational pieces offer ways in which players can tackle challenges, contextualize problems, and change the outcomes of (say) dice rolls. In the succeeding sections, players will come in contact with a lot of information. Read the following sections carefully. Remember that the information below is tackled in greater detail under [04: Refereeing the Game]({% link referee.md %}).