Dice mechanics
Contested rolls in Draw Steel
Opposed checks and ties.
Explanation
Draw Steel has no defense stat to roll against: there's no dedicated contested-roll subsystem, so opposed situations resolve as a power roll read against its own tiers, with the Director framing the difficulty. Stability resists forced movement and Stamina is just hit points, neither works as an opposed defense score.
Examples
Example: direct contest
Use opposed rolls when two actors directly compete (chase, grapple, deception vs insight). Resolve it quickly and move on.
Example: avoid unnecessary contests
If the opposition is passive (a lock, a cliff), use a DV/DC instead of rolling twice.
Common mistakes
- Mistake: Using contests for everything. Fix: Use contests only for direct opposition; use DV/DC for passive obstacles.
- Mistake: Re-rolling until someone wins. Fix: One contest should change the situation enough to move the scene forward.