[RPG] What does it take to get a exceptional success on a extended action

chronicles-of-darkness-1eextended-actions

On Page 126 of the World of Darkness Core rulebook, it defines extended actions, making no reference to exceptional successes.

On page 125 it defines exceptional successes for instant actions.

Throughout many nWoD books there are abilities that are extended actions and have the exceptional success rule.

For years we have been playing and have adopted several different house rulings on it:

  • Total Successes>5 (ie automatic on many rolls)
  • If Final Roll brings over required target number by 5 then it is exceptional (this means best chance of exceptional, on extended action requiring 30 successes is to first roll 29, then roll 6 more)
  • 5 successes on first roll
  • 5 successes on last roll
  • 5 successes on any roll

But surely it is actually officially defined somewhere.
It is a fundamental system mechanic

I known in nWoD-2e it is really clear, but I am only interested in nWoD-1e answers.

Best Answer

On extended actions, you usually get results on the 5th, 10th, 15th etc. accumulated success'. so by definition the amount of success' rolled on extended action rolls, have a direct impact on the result, for instant actions a single success is mostly enough to achieve desired result. With that said, if the ST wrote down what would happen on 5, 10 and 15th success and you achieve 19, you'll just get the results of 5,10 and 15, but if you achieve 20, you will get a more precise result than you or ST anticipated. hence an exceptional success. 15 success might be the breaking point where the initiators assume the action can't be perfected more and stop the extended action. in other words they achieve what they hoped for and more effort would seem meaningless.

for example a cultist leader trying to convert people into his cult might initiate an extended roll on recruitment (let's say manipulation + persuasion, dice pool: 6) he rolls each day and once he recruits 2 people he intends to count this a success and stop. the ST decides that each people he wishes to recruit, needs 5 success. so for 2 people he'd need 10 successes. initiator rolls and after 4th roll he achieves 9 success. next day he rolls again and this time he gets 6 success. this is an exceptional success. so not only achieves the cult leader his goal of recruiting 2 people into his cult, he might also found the perfect candidates, who would devote themselves to the cult completely. which wasn't the initial goal but enhances the result in favor of the initiator.

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