Gameplay

The OVA system is fairly simple but does require that you have a decent number of six sided die on hand

Taking Action
While playing OVA, your character will  do many things. Most of the time, you do  these things simply by describing them  aloud: “Auren investigates the source of  the strange noise.” or “I frown at him with  disdain.” But sometimes you want to do  something special, something with genuine  consequences for failure, or something  where the outcome is uncertain: “Auren  wants to slice through the machinery,” or  “I want to intimidate the man into leaving.”  Remember those dice mentioned earlier? They represent chance and dramatic tension. This is when you put them to use! When you want to take an action, roll  two dice and take the highest one. If they  end up the same, add them together. This  number represents how well you did. It’s  then compared to a Difficulty Number set  by the Game Master or to a roll made by  someone else. If you beat it, you succeed!

Modifiers
But what if your character is particularly  good at what he is trying to do? Or what  if the odds are stacked against his favor? These things are represented by modifi ers. Modifi ers are added or subtracted  from the number of dice you roll.


 * Add dice when:


 * You have an Ability that aids what you  are trying to do. Add a number of dice  equal to your Level in that Ability.


 * You have something working in your  favor. This bonus is decided by the  Game Master.


 * Take dice away when:


 * You have a Weakness that hampers  what you are trying to do. Remove a  number of dice equal to your Level in  that Weakness.


 * You have something working against  you. This penalty is decided by the  Game Master.

More dice are handled the same way. With  doubles, add them together and compare  the sum to any other number rolled. If the  added dice are highest, use them. If not,  use the other highest die. Triples, quadruples,  and so on are all added together.

Negative dice
Going by the rules above, you may soon  realize it’s possible to have fewer than  one die to roll. Don’t panic; all is not lost! When dice are reduced this low, you roll  Negative Dice instead. At zero, roll two dice  and take the lowest. For each number below  zero, roll an additional die and again  take the lowest. Duplicate dice are never  added together when rolling this way.

Drama dice
Oh no! You just botched that action, and  now you are in one heck of a mess. Or are you? If you feel success is vitally  important, you may spend Endurance  to help improve your result. For every 5  points of Endurance you spend, you may  roll one additional die. Drama Dice can be  gained even after you have rolled!

What It means to fail
No matter how much characters try, or  how badly they want it, they will eventually  fail. But a bad roll does not always mean  outright failure. Sometimes characters can  still succeed…just not as they intended! Perhaps something else goes wrong, or  maybe one of your character’s Weaknesses  comes into play. You might even gain a  temporary Weakness as consequence of  your botched attempt. This is Succeeding  with Complications. What exactly happens  depends on the cirumstances at hand and,  ultimately, the Game Master’s discretion.

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