Tie-breaking

[Leon The Lion]

No, not TIE-breaking.

I cannot find or remember any RAW on this, so I want to ask:

What is, if there in fact is, the RAW way of handling a situation where two characters, PC or NPC, make an opposed roll and get tied results, but the situation they are rolling for actually allows for no logical tie or stalmate?

Like, if two characters are having an arm-wrestling contest, they both roll their STR (or maybe Lifting if the GM allows). If they tie their rolls, that's all right - it's fully within the realm of possibility that the contest ends in a stalmate, neither character able to overpower and beat the other. Or the same with a foot-race and all participants getting the same result on their Running roll.

But if one character is shooting and the other dodgeing, there is no room for a tie result. Either the shot hits - attacker wins - or the dodge is successful and the shot misses - defender wins. No stallmate or middle ground possible. So how to decide which happens if both get the same result on their roll?

And if there is no RAW answer, how would you handle such situations?
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[shootingwomprats]

R&E p.76, Opposed Rolls, "When one character acts against a another, both roll their skills; the higher roll succeeds. This is called an 'opposed rolls'. (If the two rolls tie, the first roller, the person who initiated the action - succeeds.)"

Seems there is a rule or it is inferred in the rules. Perhaps its a home rule. When opposed rolls vs NPC minions the characters win.
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[Leon The Lion]

That was quick! Thank you.

Seems I fail at rules searching.

So the rule favours the "attacker" - the character initiating the contest, whatever it is.

How would you handle it if you wanted to remove that "attacker priority"?
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- Tom Lehrer

[shootingwomprats]

R&E p.77, "Modifier Guidelines" lists examples and a modifier of +1 to 16+ if someone has an advantage over the other. If that does not work, the first round is a tie, roll opposed round again and see who wins.
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[griff]

In your arm wrestling example if the strength roll is tied the two opponents are evenly matched for strength, I would then roll a stamina roll to see who can keep up the strength roll the longest. A foot race and all running rolls tie, then all racers finish at the same time. Rerun the race. In combat stick with RAW.
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[DougRed4]

Agree with griff, but for arm wrestling I'd have that the two dramatically go back and forth but seem to be evenly matched. Then have them both roll again...
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[garhkal]

For shooting, punching etc there already is a tie breaker..
You have to equal or exceed the target difficulty (or dodge/parry roll).. so no tie breaking needed.
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[griff]

There is a YouTube video of two fighters both punching and knocking each other out at the same time. I think they both go the win for the record. But if there does need to be a winner, GM breaks all ties as needed for narrative purposes.
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"EXECUTE ORDER 67. Wait a minute, that doesn't sound like order 67..... No, wait. Yes, yes it does. EXECUTE ORDER 68" Palpatine's last moments - robot chicken.

[Zarm R'keeg]

I thought I recalled a rule- either from the Introductory Adventure Set, or the 2E rules, that ties automatically went to the player?
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[garhkal]

i know sparks has that codified into a FAQ for our campaign, where ANY time a tie comes up, even in Initiative rolls, you always favor the PCs (which i personally don't agree with).
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[Random_Axe]

The RAW already states that the defender (the one doing a dodge or evasion or other defense roll) SETS the difficulty roll for the attacker. The attacker therefore must make (or exceed) that difficulty number in order to succeed at the action.

In the case of an arm-wrestling contest (where a "tie" roll is not a logical conclusion), then you simply have the players roll a second time, with the descriptive result of the titanic struggle back and forth between the competitors.

In the case of opposed gambling rolls that tie, again roll a second time with increased winnings going to the eventual victor.

A "TIE" roll should not be considered to always go to the player. It's whoever made the difficulty number set by the defender. If a stormtrooper shoots at a PC and both the dodge and the blaster roll tie, the PC doesn't win -- the stormtrooper made the difficulty number set by the PC's dodge, so the PC is hit by the blast.

[DougRed4]

I just want to say that it's clear from Random-Axe's avatar that he is an expert on TIEs!

[Sorry - I couldn't resist]
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Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green

[jmanski]

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