How a Shadowrun roll works
Every 5 or 6 is a hit. Meet the GM's threshold and any extra hits are net hits; in an opposed test a tie goes to the defender. If more than half the dice show 1 the roll glitches, and a glitch with no hits is a critical glitch.
Example: 7 dice show 6 5 4 3 1 1 1. That is 2 hits, and 3 ones out of 7 is not more than half, so no glitch.
Spending Edge in 6e
One Edge spend per action, but the same boost can be bought more than once: 3 Edge rerolls 3 dice. You hold 7 Edge at most.
| Edge | Boost | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reroll one die | After the roll |
| 1 | +3 Initiative | Any time |
| 2 | +1 to one die | After the roll |
| 3 | Buy one hit | Any time |
| 4 | Add your Edge attribute in dice, 6s explode | Before the roll |
| 4 | Reroll all failed dice | After the roll, not on a glitch |
| 5 | Count the target's 2s as glitch dice | Before the target rolls |
10 dice against a threshold of 4 succeed 44.1% of the time. With 4 Edge and an Edge attribute of 4, adding Edge first gives 81.0%; rerolling the failed dice only if you fall short gives 90.3%.
The extended test tab counts hits over several rolls, one die fewer each time, with your chance of finishing from where you are. The Shadowrun 5e dice roller adds limits, Push the Limit and Second Chance, and the Shadowrun dice probability calculator has the odds tables.
Questions
Is it a glitch if exactly half the dice are 1s?
No. In Sixth World and 5th edition a glitch needs more than half the dice to show 1: 3 ones on 6 dice is not a glitch, 4 is. Exactly half was a glitch in 4th edition.
How likely is a glitch?
It falls fast as the pool grows, and odd pools are riskier than the even pool below them. With 3 dice it is 7.4%, with 5 dice 3.5%, with 8 dice 0.5% and with 12 dice 0.1%. A single die glitches on every 1.
Can I reroll failed dice after a glitch?
Not with the 4 Edge boost: Reroll all failed dice cannot be used on a roll that glitched. Rerolling single dice is allowed but the glitch stays; adding 1 to a die for 2 Edge can turn a 1 into a 2 and remove it. In 5e, Second Chance may reroll the misses, but the glitch stays.
Do 1s on exploding dice count toward a glitch?
No. When 6s explode, a 1 rolled on an extra die does not count. Only the 1s among your pool and the Edge dice you added are counted, out of that many dice.
What does the wild die do?
When a rule gives you a wild die, one die of the pool is rolled as wild. A 5 or 6 on it counts as 3 hits. A 1 on it means none of the 5s count as hits for that roll; 6s still do. Rerolling it with Edge makes it a normal die.
How does Attack Rating against Defense Rating give Edge?
If the attacker's Attack Rating is 4 or more above the defender's Defense Rating, the attacker gains 1 Edge. If the Defense Rating is 4 or more higher, the defender gains it. It is 1 Edge however big the gap, and you can hold 7 Edge at most.
How many dice do I lose each roll in an extended test?
One. Each roll after the first uses one die fewer, so 12 dice become 11, then 10, until you reach the threshold or run out of dice. The extended test tab tracks this, shows your chance from where you are, and keeps the test if you close the page.
Rules from the Shadowrun, Sixth World core rulebook (City Edition) and the official Sixth World FAQ, the Shadowrun 5th edition core rulebook, and the Shadowrun Missions FAQ. Odds are worked out exactly, not simulated. Your GM's rulings come first.
Unofficial fan tool. Shadowrun is a trademark of The Topps Company, Inc.; not affiliated with Topps or Catalyst Game Labs.