Success Bands

Not all successes are equal, and not all failures are empty. When a Trial succeeds, the margin by which the total exceeds the DR determines the quality of the outcome.

Quick Reference: Normal Success = meet DR to +2 over. Strong Success = beat DR by 3 to 5 (add Prowess to combat damage). Devastating Success = beat DR by 6+ (add 2× Prowess to combat damage).

Normal Success

You meet or exceed the DR by 0 to 2. The action succeeds. In combat, you deal your normal damage. Outside of combat, you accomplish what you set out to do.

Strong Success

You exceed the DR by 3 to 5. The action succeeds decisively. In combat, add your Prowess to the damage dealt. Outside of combat, the GM should grant something beyond the basic outcome — additional information, better positioning, an unexpected opportunity, or a more favorable result than what was strictly asked for.

Devastating Success

You exceed the DR by 6 or more. The action succeeds completely and emphatically. In combat, add twice your Prowess to the damage dealt. Outside of combat, the outcome should exceed the scope of the original attempt — a negotiation that wins an unexpected ally, a climb that reveals a hidden path, a strike that demoralizes nearby enemies.

No Critical Hits

Untold Epoch does not have a separate critical hit system. There are no automatic critical successes on specific die results, no doubled damage dice, and no critical hit tables. The Success Bands are the outcome quality system. A high roll earns a Devastating Success through margin, not through a magic number on the die. Players who want to push a Normal Success into a Strong or Devastating Success can spend Hero Dice to increase their total — the decision to go all in on a crucial roll is always in the player’s hands, not left to chance.

Guidance for Non-Combat Trials

The Success Bands are defined mechanically for combat (bonus damage scaling with Prowess) because combat demands consistent, repeatable rules. For social and exploration Trials, the GM uses the band as a guide for the quality and scope of the outcome:

• A Normal Success accomplishes the task as described.
• A Strong Success gives something extra — more information, better terms, a cleaner result, or an unexpected advantage.
• A Devastating Success exceeds the scope of the original ask — the merchant becomes a long-term contact, the lock reveals a secondary compartment, the intimidated guard shares secrets they weren’t asked about.

Failures do not have formal bands. The GM adjudicates failure consequences based on the fiction and the stakes. A narrow miss may leave an opening for another attempt; a wide miss may create complications. This is narrative judgment, not a mechanical trigger.