Vantage · Board game rules
When do I use "x" skill dice?
Quick answer
You roll skill dice during initial setup for randomization, and whenever a result tells you to "gain a random skill" or when a stat would exceed its maximum of 6.
Details
Skill dice have a few specific uses in Vantage. During setup, you follow location 000's instructions to complete character and starting stat selection, "using skill dice for randomization" [p.3 — SETUP].
During gameplay, if an action result instructs you to gain a random skill, you roll a skill die to determine which skill token (move, look, engage, help, take, or overpower) you receive. Some results specify a fixed skill instead, or ask you to roll multiple skill dice (e.g., "Roll 2 skill dice and gain all move results") [p.10 — ► Skills].
Skill dice are also used automatically as a safety valve: if you would ever gain time, morale, or health (🚩/★/❤️) when that stat is already at its maximum of 6, instead you gain 1 random skill by rolling a skill die and taking the token matching the result [p.10 — 7. Read the action result].
Watch out: Skill dice are different from challenge dice and skill tokens. Skill dice are only rolled to randomly determine which skill token you gain — they are not used to reduce action costs or placed on your grid. Skill tokens (not dice) are what you pay to reduce an action's cost or to unlock a benefit [p.8 — Reduce the cost by 1 per matching skill].