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Margin In-Depth Rules

In the Perilous Adventures Warbands Guide (PAWG), every roll you make with the d100 (two ten-sided dice: one for tens, one for units) tells a story—not just success or failure, but how well you succeed. That’s where Margin of Success comes in. Whether you’re swinging a sword, dodging a blow, or casting a spell, Margin adds flavor and power to your actions. This section is for everyone—new players learning the ropes and seasoned gamers looking to master the system. We’ll use our example characters—Torren, Lira, Eryn, Kael, and Veyra—to break it down with clear examples and math. Roll low, aim high, and let’s dive into the details!

What Is Margin of Success?

  • Definition: When you roll under your target number (skill or adjusted skill), the difference between your roll and the target is your Margin of Success. It shows how much better you did than just scraping by.
  • How It Works:
  • Roll d100 under your skill or target (lower = better).
  • Margin = Target - Roll (if successful).
  • Uses: Margin boosts damage in attacks, reduces damage when defending, and can enhance other rolls (GM decides).

Newbie Tip: Think of Margin as your “bonus points” for rolling low—it makes good rolls even better!

Margin in Combat

Margin shines brightest in fights—here’s how it applies to attacks and defense.

Attacks

  • Mechanic: When you hit with Melee Weapons or Ranged Weapons, add your Margin to damage.
  • Damage Formula: Base (ability/10 or 20 + weapon) + Margin.
  • Math Example: Torren (Melee Weapons 100, sword 15, STR 70) attacks. Target 100 (no modifiers), rolls 30. Success! Margin = 100 - 30 = 70. Damage = 22 (STR/10) + 15 (sword) + 70 = 107.
  • Example Character: Veyra (Ranged Weapons 100, shortbow 12, DEX 90) shoots. Target 100, rolls 40. Margin = 100 - 40 = 60. Damage = 16 (DEX/20) + 12 (shortbow) + 60 = 88.
  • Details: High skills (e.g., 100) mean big Margins—Torren’s 107 can one-shot foes with 80 HP!

Critical: Roll 01-05 (crit success) doubles damage or adds a GM effect—Torren rolling 05 = 214 damage!

Defense

  • Mechanic: As a Reaction (once/round), roll DEX + Acrobatics (dodge) or CON + Endurance (brace) when hit. Reduce damage by Margin, then apply armor.
  • Brace: Minimum 5 reduction if successful.
  • Math Example: Lira (DEX 90, Acrobatics 90, leather 5) takes 80 damage. Rolls 50 (target 90). Margin = 90 - 50 = 40. Damage = 80 - 40 - 5 (armor) = 35. HP drops from 100 to 65.
  • Example Character: Torren (CON 70, Endurance 90, chainmail 10) takes 62 damage. Rolls 40 (target 90). Margin = 90 - 40 = 50. Damage = 62 - 50 - 10 = 2. HP from 280 to 278.
  • Details: High Margin cuts damage hard—Lira dodges nimbly, Torren shrugs off blows.

Newbie Note: Margin turns a hit into a scratch—roll low to stay standing!

Margin in Spellcasting

  • Mechanic: Spellcasting uses Skill - Difficulty as the target. Margin doesn’t directly affect most spell effects (fixed damage/healing), but GMs might enhance crits.
  • Math Example: Kael (Spellcasting 100) casts Fire Bolt (Difficulty 40, 10 Mana, 20 damage). Target = 100 - 40 = 60. Rolls 20. Margin = 60 - 20 = 40. Deals 20 damage (fixed), Mana to 140.
  • Critical: Rolls 01-05—GM might double Fire Bolt to 40 damage. Kael rolls 05, Margin 55, fries a foe!
  • Example Character: Eryn (Spellcasting 90) casts Healing Touch (Difficulty 50, 15 Mana, 40 HP). Target = 90 - 50 = 40. Rolls 30. Margin = 40 - 30 = 10. Heals 40 HP, Mana to 155.

Details: Spells like Group Mending (Difficulty 70) are tougher—Eryn’s target is 20, needing low rolls for her 20 HP heal.

Margin in Skill Checks

  • Mechanic: For non-combat skills (e.g., Stealth, Persuasion), Margin measures success quality—GM decides the bonus.
  • Math Example: Lira (Stealth 100) sneaks past a guard (Perception 40, difficulty 40). Target = 100 - 40 = 60. Rolls 20. Margin = 60 - 20 = 40—slips by unnoticed, maybe grabs a key!
  • Example Character: Veyra (Persuasion 100) negotiates (difficulty 50). Target = 100 - 50 = 50. Rolls 10. Margin = 50 - 10 = 40—convinces a merchant for extra coin.
  • Details: High Margin might mean faster sneaking, better deals—GM’s call!

Newbie Tip: Margin makes you look cool outside fights too—roll low for flair!

Modifiers and Margin

  • Adjusting Target: Combat modifiers (e.g., -20 cover, +20 flanking) or skill difficulties change your target, affecting Margin.
  • Math Example: Torren attacks with flanking (+20). Melee Weapons 100 + 20 = 120, rolls 60. Margin = 120 - 60 = 60. Damage = 22 + 15 + 60 = 97.
  • Against Defense: Foe’s Margin reduces your damage first—Torren’s 97 vs. Endurance 60 (rolls 20, Margin 40) = 97 - 40 - 5 (armor) = 52.

Details: Stacking bonuses (e.g., Weapon Master +20) boosts Margin—Torren’s 120 + 20 = 140 target!

Example Characters with Margin

  • Torren (Human Warrior): Melee Weapons 100 (120 with Weapon Master). Rolls 50 = Margin 70 (or 90), damage 107-127—brutal hits!
  • Lira (Duskborn Rogue): Stealth 100, rolls 30 vs. difficulty 40 = Margin 30—sneaky success. Melee 60 + 20 (Knife in the Dark), rolls 20 = Margin 60, 83 damage doubled = 166.
  • Eryn (Embermarked Scholar): Spellcasting 90, Fire Bolt (target 50), rolls 20 = Margin 30—20 damage, reliable caster.
  • Kael (Human Mystic): Spellcasting 100, Healing Touch (target 50), rolls 10 = Margin 40—40 HP healed, steady hand.
  • Veyra (Windrunner Leader): Ranged Weapons 100, rolls 40 = Margin 60, 88 damage—precise shot.

Math Examples

  • Torren vs. Cover: Bandit behind partial cover (-20). Target 100 - 20 = 80, rolls 30. Margin = 80 - 30 = 50. Damage = 22 + 15 + 50 = 87.
  • Lira Defends: Takes 80 damage, Acrobatics 90, rolls 60. Margin = 90 - 60 = 30. Damage = 80 - 30 - 5 = 45.
  • Kael’s Crit: Fire Bolt, rolls 05 (target 60). Margin = 60 - 5 = 55. Crit doubles 20 to 40 damage—fiery win!

For Experienced Players

  • Tactics: Max skills (100) for huge Margins—Torren’s 70-90 adds devastating hits. Stack bonuses (e.g., +20 flanking, +20 distinction) for 120+ targets.
  • Defense: High Acrobatics/Endurance (e.g., 90) cuts damage—Lira’s Margin 40+ dodges most blows. Crit defend (01-05) might negate all!
  • Skills: Margin in Persuasion or Stealth = extra loot or intel—push for low rolls with high targets.

That’s Margin in PAWG! It rewards skill and luck—roll low, hit hard, and shine. Check with your GM for tweaks, and let that d100 fly!