skills and spells, the failure and the success

All skills and spells (should) have five levels of success which should
be included in the skill/spell code.
These levels are:
- critical failure ( 96-100% )
- failure          ( skill chance + 11% - 95% )
- partial success  ( +/-10% of skill chance )
- success          ( skill chance - 11% - 06% )
- critical success ( 01-05% )

The percents after levels are the chances getting one.
Skill chance means there the actual skill/spell chance you have on each
spell/skill.

So, if your spell fireball is at 40%, you would fail if you threw 51-95%
(ie. your chance would be 45% ).
Partial success would happen with throw 30-50% (ie. 21% chance).
You would score success with throw 06-29% (so, chance for success would
be only 24% but still chance for partial would be 21% and 5% for critical
so the chance for some sort of success would be 24 + 21 + 5 = 50% ).

When skill or spell is used, it is checked how well you succeed, if at all.

If you get critical failure, it means that you fail so bad that something
bad is going to happen instead of just failing.
Failure means that you just lose that spell of fail using the skill.
Partial success means that you don't lose the spell or skill but you don't
succeed fully. Only half the effect or such will happen.
Success means that you succeeded using the skill or casting the spell and
the full effect will happen.
Critial success means that you get some special in addition to normal
success.

Examples of failure levels:

Skill: Fire Bolt

Crit. failure:    Caster accidentally casts the spell at himself or
                  one of his friends.
Failure:          The spells just sputters and is lost.
Partial success:  Spell is cast successfully but does only a half damage
                  cause of partial success.
Success:          The spell is successful and does full dmg.
Critical success: The spell is cast successfully but hits the target 
                  critically doing double dmg.


Skill: Pick pockets

Crit. failure:    Thief fails stealing money and the target notices the 
                  thief trying steal his/her money.
Failure:          The attempt to steal fails but target doesn't notice
                  the attempt.
Partial success:  Thief succeeds to steal some money but gets caught, ie.
                  target notices the successful skill use immediately.
Success:          The skill use is successful and target doesn't notice
                  the successful attempt.
Critical success: The skill is successful but the thief gets a double
                  amount of money.

When you design a skill or spell, you should always include all these
levels of success. There may be exceptions if there just _can't_ be
a critical failure/success or a partial success, but you should always
think this carefully before putting any skill in game too hasty.
You can always ask ideas from other wizzes, too.

Suggestions, ideas etc. most welcome.
 _/_
  /Sinister

EOF