Question about if you can fail a roll, or if the PC always succeeds?
On page 22 it says
https://bladesinthedark.com/action-roll
“On a 1-3, it’s up to the GM to decide if the PC’s action has any effect or not, or if it even happens at all.”
But on page 24 it says
https://bladesinthedark.com/effect
“The GM judges the effect level using the profiles below. Which one best matches the action at hand—great, standard, or limited. Each effect level indicates the questions that should be answered for that effect, as well as how many segments to tick if you’re using a progress clock.”
We have always used the tables, and I’ve never noticed John Harper telling someone they failed. I’m pretty sure the players thought they failed a roll, and John saying “nope, you succeed, but here are the consequence.”