Tales of Xadia
Game HandbookCore Mechanic
Build and roll a d4–d12 dice pool from an attribute, a value and a distinction, adding one applicable specialty and assets. Results of 1 are hitches and cannot contribute to the total or effect. Add two eligible results to beat the opposition's total. Choose an unused eligible die whose size determines the effect rather than its rolled number.
Best For
Groups who want fantasy campaigns where changing convictions and relationships matter mechanically alongside magical adventures in The Dragon Prince's setting.
Highlights
Questioning a value statement triples its die for a roll and feeds growth, making changes of conviction mechanically consequential. Contests can change major non-player characters' values, letting persuasion reshape their future behavior. Extended challenges resolve varied approaches against a shrinking dice pool, supporting obstacles beyond physical combat.
Considerations
Stress strengthens opposing dice pools, making unresolved setbacks harder to overcome. Guided rune-mage creation links ancestry and upbringing to magical vocation, limiting characters' inherent access to different sources of primal magic. Trait advancement uses growth dice in tests that can fail, rather than guaranteeing an upgrade after every story arc.