Quote from NishI think I have internal bleeding from a broken heart now.
I know even less now. :(
*******2d6 rolls two six-sided dice. 3d12 would roll 3 12-sided dice. Most skills and combat relies on a dice roll. Whether or not you succeed depends on your character's skill level. If you have a skill of 20, you must roll under a 20 to succeed in using the skill. If you are rolling 2d6 (normally you are, with GURPS or D&D) then rolling a three or lower is a critical success, which can make your skill highly effective. On the other hand, with skill levels under 18, rolling a 17 or more is a critical failure, which can possibly kill your character. (skills above 18 mean that only rolling 18 will critically fail)
*******Basically, the higher your skill is, the higher you can roll and still pass the check. The idea is to roll the lowest total number you can. If you are playing against another player, you must not only pass your skill roll, but you must also roll lower than your opponent. There are ways to modify the dice rolls, via status effects, and by fulfilling certain conditions. For example, my assassin character in GURPS knows judo, and can grapple with creatures that would normally be stronger or heavier than him. He earns a bonus if he grapples from behind the opponent, and another bonus if he already has a hold of the target. These bonuses add to the skill level for that roll, meaning a skill level of 18 with a +5 bonus is 23.
*******Dice rolls are also used for determining damage. How many dice you roll depends on the weapon. Heavier weapons allow you to roll more dice than lighter ones. With Damage rolls, you want to roll as HIGH as you possibly can. This is especially true with Piercing damage, as any damage that goes through the armor is doubled. Hitting certain areas, such as the eyes, will multiply it by four. THese damage boosts are cumulative, so your dice role is multiplied by two, and that number would then be multiplied by four, if you hit the eyes of an opponent with a piercing weapon.
