Dice mechanics
Dice pool basics in Shadowrun 6th Edition
Rolling multiple dice and counting successes.
Explanation
Shadowrun 6E rolls d6 dice pools: Attribute + Skill dice, counting 5s and 6s as hits against a threshold. Glitches (more than half the dice showing 1s) complicate even successes, and Edge lets you reroll, add dice, or bend outcomes.
At the table (quick loop)
- Build your pool: relevant Attribute + Skill (plus modifiers), one d6 each.
- Roll and count hits: every 5 or 6 is a hit; meet the threshold (or beat the opposing roll) to succeed.
- Check for glitches: more than half of the dice showing 1s is a glitch (a critical glitch if that glitch also scored zero hits). Spend Edge to reroll failures or add dice when it matters.
Example: Agility 5 + Firearms 4 = 9 dice vs threshold 3: rolling three 5s and a 6 gives 4 hits, a clean success unless five or more dice came up 1s.
Examples
Example: build the pool
Pick the two traits that match your approach (often Attribute + Skill), roll that many d10s, then count successes.
Example: raise/lower difficulty
Instead of stacking small modifiers, change the difficulty (required successes) so the decision is readable.
Common mistakes
- Mistake: Rolling without a clear pool. Fix: Say the approach, then pick the two traits that define the pool.
- Mistake: Counting successes inconsistently. Fix: Keep one quick reference open (cheat sheet) during play.