Combat

TN Difficulty Ladder

The seven steps of task difficulty. Set the TN based on the inherent challenge of the task; apply modifiers separately.

TN	Difficulty	Description	When to Use
5	Trivial	Almost automatic; rolling is a formality.	Tasks where failure is boring and success is assumed. Consider not rolling at all.
7	Easy	A trained professional under mild pressure.	Routine work with ample time. The locksmith picking a simple lock in her workshop.
9	Routine	Competent work under mild stress.	Some pressure exists, but the task itself isn't demanding. Tracking a trail on dry ground.
11	Moderate	A real challenge requiring focus.	Trained characters succeed more often than not, but failure is plausible. Treating a wound in a moving wagon.
13	Standard	The baseline for dramatic action.	Default for acting under active conflict or time pressure. Combat, tense negotiations, dangerous exploration.
15	Hard	Expert-level difficulty.	Even skilled characters may fail. Requires preparation, good equipment, or luck. Surgery in a firefight.
17	Legendary	Beyond normal human limits.	Impossible without significant Roll Bonuses. Shooting a coin from a man's fingers at a hundred paces.

The most common GM-set difficulty is TN 13 — Standard. Set it there unless you have a reason to deviate. Players who consistently see TN 11 get bored; players who consistently see TN 15 get tired.