Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) are celebrated for their ability to immerse players in captivating stories, collaborative decision-making, and dynamic challenges. At the heart of every TTRPG lies its resolution mechanics - a seemingly simple system that determines success, failure, and everything in between. But as Dr. Ben of RPG PhD eloquently explains, resolution mechanics are far more than a series of dice rolls or card flips. They are the DNA of a game, shaping not only outcomes but also the emotional tone, pacing, and player experience at the table.
This article unpacks the foundations of resolution mechanics, explores their diverse forms, and provides a framework for choosing - or designing - the system that best aligns with your game’s goals. Whether you're a game designer or an enthusiastic worldbuilder, understanding resolution mechanics is essential for crafting memorable experiences.
What Are Resolution Mechanics?
At their core, resolution mechanics are the tools we use to resolve uncertainty in fictional scenarios. They answer key questions: Did the rogue leap the chasm? Did the bard sway the Duke? Did the investigator survive the ghoul? But beyond determining outcomes, resolution mechanics influence how players experience the story itself. They shape the stakes, distribute narrative authority, and define what risks are worth taking.
To better understand their impact, Dr. Ben refers to the MDA Framework (Mechanics-Dynamics-Aesthetics):
- Mechanics create rules and systems.
- Dynamics emerge as table behaviors shaped by those rules.
- Aesthetics refer to the emotional experience players take away.
In simpler terms: change the mechanics, and you change the vibe of play.
Theories That Illuminate Resolution Mechanics
Dr. Ben draws on several game design theories to highlight how resolution mechanics affect TTRPGs. Here’s a breakdown of the key models:
1. GNS Theory (Gameism, Narrativism, Simulationism)
Popularized by Ron Edwards, this theory categorizes games based on their priorities:
- Gameism focuses on challenge and fairness (e.g., tactical duels).
- Narrativism emphasizes storytelling and stakes, often through partial successes.
- Simulationism prioritizes realism and consistency.
For example:
- Call of Cthulhu’s percentile rolls lean simulationist, modeling fragile competence and realism.
- Apocalypse World’s 2d6 rolls, with consequences baked into mixed results, lean narrativist, driving story drama.
2. Fortune Timing
This theory examines when randomness is introduced:
- Fortune at the End confirms declared actions (e.g., Dungeons & Dragons rolls after narration).
- Fortune in the Middle integrates dice into storytelling (e.g., Apocalypse World, where rolls influence narrative direction mid-scene).
3. DDE Model (Dynamism, Decisions, Discovery, Expression)
This newer lens asks:
- What decisions matter in the game?
- How does the fiction shift dynamically?
- What emerges through play?
- How do players express their creativity?
For instance, Blades in the Dark emphasizes discovery through progress clocks and expression through character-driven choices, while Shadowrun highlights dynamism with tactical dice pools.
Resolution Mechanic Families: A Breakdown
Each resolution system introduces a unique flavor of uncertainty, competence, and tension. Let’s examine the most common families:
1. Flat Single Die (e.g., d20 Roll-Over)
- How It Works: Roll one die, add modifiers, and beat a target number.
- Pros: Simple, fast, and cinematic. High variance creates dramatic highs and lows.
- Cons: Experts fail often, small modifiers rarely matter, and outcomes are often binary.
- Best For: High-adventure games where bold risks and swingy results ramp up the fun (Dungeons & Dragons).
2. Bell Curves (e.g., 3d6, 4df)
- How It Works: Roll multiple dice, with results clustering near the middle (e.g., 3d6 in GURPS).
- Pros: Predictable competence supports immersion and realism. Small modifiers matter more.
- Cons: Less cinematic and dramatic.
- Best For: Realistic or horror settings where fragile competence is key (GURPS).
3. Dice Pools (e.g., Success Count or Highest Die)
- How It Works: Roll multiple dice, count "hits" or focus on the highest result (e.g., Shadowrun or Blades in the Dark).
- Pros: Visceral joy of rolling lots of dice, natural degrees of success, and tactile cooperation mechanics.
- Cons: It can get cluttered, and probability swings wildly with small pools.
- Best For: Heist and ensemble games where shared effort is key (Blades in the Dark).
4. Banded Outcomes (e.g., 2d6 Powered by the Apocalypse)
- How It Works: Rolls fall into three bands - success, mixed success, or failure with consequences (e.g., Apocalypse World).
- Pros: Every roll moves the story forward. Snowballing drama keeps players engaged.
- Cons: Less tactical depth, requires strong improvisation skills from the GM.
- Best For: Messy, character-driven drama (Masks, Monsterhearts).
5. Physical Tension Mechanics (e.g., Towers)
- How It Works: Replace dice with physical tasks, like Jenga blocks (Dread).
- Pros: Embodied tension adds atmosphere.
- Cons: Limited to one-shots and may not be accessible for all players.
- Best For: Horror games where players feel the same stress as their characters (Dread).
Matching Mechanics to Purpose: Aligning Systems with Emotion
One of the most critical lessons from Dr. Ben’s analysis is that mechanics are not neutral. Every choice you make - from the type of dice to the timing of rolls - affects the emotional experience of your game. Resolution systems are design arguments. They silently declare whether your game is about heroism, helplessness, tension, or drama.
Questions to Guide System Design:
- What emotion do I want players to feel? Heroic, suspenseful, dramatic, etc.
- What type of outcomes align with my vision? Swingy risks vs. consistent competence.
- Should stakes be visible or hidden? Transparent risks encourage strategy, while hidden stakes add dread.
- How often should rolls occur? Frequent rolls create granular tactical gameplay, while fewer rolls emphasize impactful moments.
Example Alignments:
- Swingy Heroics: D&D 5e (flat d20 rolls, binary outcomes).
- Messy Drama: Powered by the Apocalypse (banded outcomes, fiction-first).
- Paranoia and Helplessness: Call of Cthulhu (percentiles, fortune at the end).
- Heist Suspense: Blades in the Dark (pools, progress clocks).
Avoiding Common Design Pitfalls
Dr. Ben highlights several recurring pitfalls in resolution design - and how to fix them:
1. Binary Stallouts
- The Problem: Pass/fail systems often stall narratives (e.g., "You failed to pick the lock. Nothing happens.").
- Solution: Use fail forward or introduce partial successes (e.g., Apocalypse World’s 7-9 results).
2. Over-Swingy Dice
- The Problem: Results feel arbitrary. Experts fail as often as novices.
- Solution: Use bell curves or bounded accuracy to stabilize probabilities.
3. Fiction Disconnect
- The Problem: Mechanics feel abstract, unrelated to the story.
- Solution: Tie rolls directly to narrative stakes (e.g., Blades in the Dark uses positioning and progress clocks).
Key Takeaways
- Resolution mechanics shape more than outcomes - they define the emotional tone and pacing of your game.
- Understanding design frameworks like MDA, GNS, and DDE helps align mechanics with your narrative goals.
- Consider how timing, probability, and consequences interact to create tension, drama, or immersion.
- Always ask: What story am I promising, and how do my mechanics deliver on that promise?
- Avoid common pitfalls like binary failures, swingy dice, and unclear stakes by designing with intentionality.
- Mechanics aren’t just tools - they are statements about the kind of experience your game offers.
Final Thoughts
TTRPG resolution mechanics are more than dice rolls or card flips - they’re the heartbeat of your game. By choosing these systems with purpose, you can ensure that every moment at the table resonates with the experience you envision. Whether you’re designing a high-adventure dungeon crawl or a suspenseful horror one-shot, the key to success lies in aligning mechanics with emotion. When you do, the result is not just a game - it’s an unforgettable experience.
Source: "Choosing the Right Resolution Mechanics for Your TTRPG" - RPG PHD, YouTube, Aug 29, 2025 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PHg0AeCrMI
