Dice Pool
Also known as: pool system, dice pool system
Definition
A dice mechanic where you roll multiple dice at once and count successes or take the highest result, rather than rolling a single die and adding modifiers.
How it works in different systems
Vampire V5: Roll Attribute + Skill in d10s. 6+ = success, 10s can crit. Difficulty = successes needed.
Werewolf 5e: Same as VTM5e but with Rage dice that can cause Rage effects on failures.
Call of Cthulhu 7e: Not dice pool - uses d100 percentile instead.
Shadowrun: Roll Attribute + Skill in d6s. 5+ = hit. Threshold = hits needed.
WoD Classic: Roll Attribute + Ability in d10s. Difficulty is target number (usually 6-8). Count successes.
Example
“In Vampire V5, you roll Attribute + Skill in d10s. With Strength 3 and Brawl 2, you roll 5 dice. Each die showing 6+ is a success. You need successes equal to or greater than the difficulty to succeed.”
Common Mistakes
- Adding dice results together instead of counting successes
- Forgetting that 10s often count as 2 successes or explode
- Not understanding the difference between difficulty (successes needed) and dice pool size