Dice

Dice in CYOA
Dice in role playing games serve two important purposes. The first is to check the ambition of the players by demonstrating to them that their characters have limits. Take, for example, the following interaction. "GM: You see a dusty tome atop the pedestal. The leather cover has a title emblazoned upon it written in a language you do not know. You sense a faint magical aura emanating from its pages.  PC1: Can I roll an arcana check to see if I know more about this magical aura?  "GM: Go for it." (PC1 Rolls a twenty sided die and adds +2 for his arcana skill. The total is 8.)  "PC1: I got 8." GM: The magical aura is completely mysterious to you-- unlike anything you have ever seen.  "PC2: Damn, that doesn't give us anything to go on.'"However, the dice also represent the possibility that the players can accomplish unlikely and amazing things which change the very course of the adventure by rolling a "natural 20". Here is the same situation with a different die roll. ''"GM: You see a dusty tome atop the pedestal. The leather

cover has a title emblazoned upon it written in a language you do not know. You sense a faint magical aura emanating from its pages.  ''PC1: Can I roll an arcana check to see if I know more about this magical aura?  "GM: Go for it." (PC Rolls a twenty sided die and adds +2 for his arcana skill. The total is 22.) '' "PC1: I got a natural 20!" ''GM: You recognize this magical aura as similar to one you

encountered in your education as a young woman. You realize this tome likely holds secrets about the art of pyromancy.  ''PC2: Whoever owns this tome must be responsible for the arson the town watch was investigating!"  Therefore, dice are critical for giving players a sense of agency and a sense that they can accomplish things above their pay grade. They provide the players with the opportunity to be heroic or useful with a realistic and exciting frequency that can often have profound impacts on the course of the story, and even on their identity as a player.