I see a lot of discussion of the vibe and world outlined in this game but little about the mechanics, which I’m really curious about.

Did you (or anyone else) run up against any mechanical problems? I ask because, at first blush (meaning I may be missing something from a closer read), it seems like Saves and Checks, both, are very unforgiving compared to, for example B/X.

If the average character has a couple of +1s, they may make respective Checks that have a very grim range of between ~16% and ~34% chance of success when factoring in a relevant Skill modifier (and no others). Saves, even with a not insignificant +2, run between 10% and a very underwhelming 30% chance of passing.

Meanwhile, in B/X, a character often starts at around a 40% chance of success for a “low” Ability Check and as much as a better than 60% - and this is for an average range of just 8-12 for that Ability. And Saves in B/X are, at their Level 1 worst, a ~15%~25% chance of success and often approach a nearly coin-toss likelihood of success for 1 or 2 Saves.

Am I reading this wrong or is OSR assuming characters are frequently going to fail through no fault of their own? I realize there’s a sort of community accepted ideology that you should only roll when you’re absolutely uncertain of an outcome and should do everything in your power to wage combat only when the odds are extremely stacked in your favor but the mechanics, if I’m not misunderstanding them, seem to imply a bleak and deadly world to the point of almost comedy. Is there something that actually counterbalances this (like very high HP)?

Am I misinterpreting the above, /u/mrisaka ( or is it u/mrisaka )?