The name is a bit of a misnomer, and it's a lot scarier than it has to be. They are both more or less the same thing; only the time frame differs.
Basic Test
A "Basic Test" is an instantaneous event, such as throwing a ball through a hoop.
The format is simple.
Ability Test (3d6) + Ability Modifier(From the Character Sheet) + Focus
The Target Number (TN) = the score needed for success
In the ball-throwing example, the test is Dexterity(Legerdemain). Sleight-of-hand isn't really a good comparison, but they don't have "hand-eye coordination as an available focus, so we improvise. If the character's dexterity is 2 and they do not have the Legerdemain focus, the test is 3d6+2.
The GM has determined that the difficulty level is Average, with a Target Number (TN) = 11.
As long as the player rolls 9 or above on 3d6 (because they get +2 for their dexterity), they can throw the ball through the hoop.
Opposed Test
For an "Opposed Test," someone is trying to prevent the player from succeeding. Suppose the hoop had a goalie. The Target Number may or may not still be there, but ultimately, success or failure depends upon the thrower's skill being higher than the goalie's. For the goalie's test, speed is the applicable focus. Let's assume that both the thrower and the goalie have a dexterity of 2, but that the goalie has a Dexterity(Speed) focus, which gives them a +2 bonus.
Both characters make Ability Tests.
Thrower = 3d6+2 = [5, 4, 1]+2 = 12 (success!) but...
Goalie = 3d6+2+2 = [4, 6, 1]+2+2 = 15
In this example, it doesn't matter that the thrower's shot would have made it because the goalie was able to intercept it.
Advanced Test
Both Basic Tests and Opposed Tests are instantaneous. The action is attempted and it succeeds or it fails. Not all situations work like that.
Suppose the character wants to climb a rock face. The applicable ability is Strength, and the applicable focus is Climbing. The character does not have the Strength(Climbing) focus, but that's okay, he can make an untrained attempt.
The GM determines that the test is Challenging, with a Target Number (TN)=13... but climbing that cliff will take a while. More than one roll is necessary. Maybe the character will make it a quarter of the way up at first, then they'll make it a little further up, and it will go on until the character is all the way up the cliff. Success, the Success Threshold(ST) is Average, so 10.
The player wants the character to scale the cliff, so she rolls.
Strength(Climbing) Test=3d6+3+0=[3, 5, 2] + 3 + 0 = 13 (success!)
The Dragon Die is 3, so they make it 3/10 of the way up the cliff. More rolls are needed.
Strength(Climbing) Test = 3d6+3+0= [4, 1, 6] + 3 + 0 = 14 (success!)
The Dragon Die is 4, so they make it (4+3)/10 of the way up the cliff, or 70% of the way. More rolls are needed.
Strength(Climbing) Test = 3d6+3+0 = [2,5,4] + 3 + 0 = 14 (success!)
The Dragon Die is 2, so they make it (2+4+3)/10 of the way up the cliff, or 90% of the way. One more success should do it. After all, any successful roll will put them at 10.
Strength(Climbing) Test = 3d6+3+0 = [2, 2, 2] + 3 + 0 = 9 (FAIL)
The character was 90% of the way up the cliff, but the last roll didn't work, so they fell. Had the last roll passed, they would have made it up the cliff.
If anything about this is unclear, please say so. We will be doing this a lot, so we should probably work it out now.
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