Sometimes, an action is resisted.
You roll your Attribute + Skill, but apply a modifier of one of your opponent’s Resistance Attributes (Resolve, Stamina, or Composure), or your opponent’s Defence.
This resistance is over and above any other modifiers applied to the dice pool.
If you’re not sure whether to use resistance or a Contested Action, use this guideline:
Resistance applies in situations where the number of successes on the roll is an important factor.
If what matters is just whether the roll succeeds or not, use a Contested Action.
For example, combat applies Defence as a resistance because the number of successes on the roll determines how badly the attacker messes up his victim. Awakened spells, however, are Withstood rather than resisted or contested.
When uncanny powers other than Awakened magic are involved, they may be resisted or contested as noted in their rules. Supernatural creatures can sometimes add an additional trait, called Supernatural Tolerance.
The Supernatural Tolerance trait for Mages is Gnosis.