All the actions in The World Trigger RPG use a dice pool mechanic to determine success or failure. There are two different types of actions that require the use of dice tests, which are represented by two different modes that the game happens in.
Game Modes
The world of World Trigger is more than just combating neighbors and rank wars. There is a heavy social aspect to the manga that revolves around character relationships, political maneuvering, and character growth. To represent that in the game, the actions were split into two distinct game modes: Trigger On! and Border Agent mode. Each mode uses the Distinctions character trait category to build the dice pool, but the rest of the dice pool comes from mode specific categories.
Trigger On!
This signature phrase yelled out by border agents triggers the transformation of their bodies into ones made of Trion, usually for the purpose of defending their world from the incursions of the Neighbors. As a game mode, it focuses on the combat aspect of the World Trigger universe.
Trigger On! mode actions require dice to be rolled when one character is attempting to affect another. This can be in the form of an attack, a defense, or a tactic meant to disadvantage or advantage one side.
When it is a characters turn to act, they decide what their action will be, and describe it in terms of what kind of effect they want it to have another another character. Anything from taking out, positioning, defending, evading, ambushing, distracting, or subduing counts. Every action elicits a reaction though, and as such, most combat rolls tend to be opposed tests.
Opposed tests mean that the character builds their dice pool, and the character they are affecting builds their dice pool to compare the results, with the highest value winning the test. If there is no character that is being affected, the game master rolls dice built up from their pool in order to provide a difficulty target number.
The categories of character traits used to build the dice pool during Trigger On! mode include the Distinction category, the Support Function category, the Parameter category, The Role category, and the Trigger category. This will build 4 to 5 dice for the player to roll, where they keep the two highest to determine the result.
Border Agent
This game mode basically has to do with what your character does when not engaging in battles, rank wars, or neighbor invasions. This mode focuses on the characters personality and social skills as a means of character growth. This contrasts with Trigger On! mode that focuses on character advancement.
The purpose of rolling dice in this mode is when the character is trying to impose their will on another character. The action is described in terms of what it is the character wants from the other character, allowing the defeated player to provide that while staying in character. Examples of the types of situations that would require the rolling of dice in Border Agent mode involve convincing other characters of your point of view, getting them to believe a lie, making them apologize, etc.
The type of tests are essentially the same, with opposed tests for other player characters, and GM rolled difficulty tests built up from the GM’s Story pool over the course of the game. Just like Trigger On! mode, Border Agent mode involves building dice from different categories of character traits.
The character trait categories for this mode are the Distinction Category, the Faction affiliation category, the Personality category, the Talent category, and the Relationship category. This will build 4 to 5 dice for the character to roll, with the player keeping the two highest to determine their result.
World Trigger RPG 