tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post8842255097714913742..comments2024-03-29T08:03:16.892-07:00Comments on B/X BLACKRAZOR: Random FateJBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-37026737397462059402012-05-28T14:53:23.511-07:002012-05-28T14:53:23.511-07:00@ Sovereign: Ahh...I see I wasn't reading the ...@ Sovereign: Ahh...I see I wasn't reading the rules closely enough; Protection reduces the damage bonus rather than the DC of the attack. So all the characters with Protection 10 are completely immune to the damage of non-Super Strength attacks from opponents of PL 10 or less...unless those opponents have the Penetration feat...unless the character takes the Impervious extra...<br /><br />[sigh...I stand corrected but yet another reason why I dislike M&M in general]<br /><br />RE #2 Do you really want to be spending your hero points against alley thugs?<br /><br />RE #3 Not sure I understand the question. Are you comparing Hero points to "fudging?" I see these as two very separate entities. Hero points (or Fame/Fortune points which are seen as far back as Top Secret and the James Bond RPG) are a resource that provides a degree of narrative control to the player; a metagame mechanic. Karma points in Marvel did much the same thing, except they were easier to earn and use (though with the potential for being lost as well). <br /><br />"Fudging" is an arbitrary decision on the part of the GM. Players are not allowed to "fudge;" if they roll a "1" on a saving throw and say, "Oh, I rolled a 17," that is called "cheating" by the general public. Saying, "I spend a Hero point" is using a finite resource, the use of which is part of the challenge/decision making process of the game. <br /><br />Allowing the GM to alter the results of a die roll at a whim is nonsensical to me...even if done (as Star Wars would say) in aid of making the results more "dramatically appropriate." Dramatically appropriate" is purely in the eyes of the GM...some GMs might find it appropriate for PCs to be gunned down by stormtroopers, while other GMs feel it only appropriate to allow death at the hands of some random "Darth of the Week," while a third group of GMs feel it is NEVER "appropriate" for PC heroes to die unless they are purposefully sacrificing themselves. One can never make GMing STYLE to be consistent...one can only create consistent rules.<br /><br />FOR EXAMPLE: if you decided (as a game designer) that PC heroes should never be killed by stormtroopers or "minion-types" in your space opera game, you might as well write it into the rules: "Damage caused by minions is CAPPED at wounding player characters; PCs can never suffer mortal injury from unnamed mooks." That's not very hard is it? And then ALL the GMs that choose to run your game will have a consistent way of playing withOUT needing to resort to "fudging" dice rolls.<br /><br />What does fudging do besides: A) allow GMs to arbitrarily dictate the course of events (i.e. railroad), and B) keep players in the dark as to how the rules work (since they might be changed at any time). At least with Hero Points, they know where they stand at a particular moment.<br /><br />Um...did that answer your question?JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08532311924539491087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-90283041667862112012-05-28T01:02:24.837-07:002012-05-28T01:02:24.837-07:00First, some nitpicking:
Assuming you're using ...First, some nitpicking:<br />Assuming you're using the first edition of Mutants & Masterminds (the only edition to feature Protonik as a hero archetype), Protonik's 10 ranks of Protection mean that he is totally invulnerable to the blows dealt by wrench-wielding thugs (damage rating 3 in your example). No roll is needed.<br /><br />Second, some expansion:<br />If Protonik had 10 ranks of Amazing Save(damage) instead of Protection, things could have gone the way you described. However, Protonik could have spent a hero point in several ways to alter the outcome such as temporarily increasing his Defense, Ignoring the first round worth of bruising, gaining an immediate Recovery check, or re-rolling any of his failed checks with a minimum result of 10.<br /><br />Third, the question:<br />M&M has Hero Points, True20 has Conviction, D&D 3.5 added Action Points, Star Wars has Force Points, 4e has a ton of feats and powers that allow re-rolls under specific conditions, etc....<br />Given that many rules systems have mechanics which allow a player to re-roll unfavorable results, what are your thoughts on this trend to make "fudging" the rules PART of the rules?Sovereigneternalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05867111882267008266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-11772372650778962212012-05-27T14:41:39.456-07:002012-05-27T14:41:39.456-07:00I agree in that I think that you should not roll t...I agree in that I think that you should not roll the dice *if you are not prepared to accept all possible outcomes*.<br /><br />As for humiliating failure: If it's built into the system - and it need not be, there are plenty of new school systems where this could not happen! - then we should deal with it.<br /><br />Failure often sucks when you're in-the-moment, but makes for the best stories in the long run.<br /><br />Superman gets beaten up by some punks? Wow.<br /><br />I once saw a player roll and add up 20D6 and get a sum of 24. I was there. I still talk about it. Wow.Johannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13448463364076631580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-39828214401164108592012-05-27T10:21:53.316-07:002012-05-27T10:21:53.316-07:00@ Red:
And who's fault is that?
; )@ Red:<br /><br />And who's fault is that?<br />; )JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08532311924539491087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-71985914224769331312012-05-27T10:03:27.400-07:002012-05-27T10:03:27.400-07:00My own comment on dice rolling was written gosh, t...My own comment on dice rolling was written gosh, two years ago nearly:<br /><a href="http://redbeardsravings.blogspot.com/2010/07/universal-mechanical-precautions.html" rel="nofollow">Universal Mechanical Precautions</a><br /><br />If had to write that again, I'd try to be more concise, but also include more support for narrating things out over rolling, and a<br />digression comparing the linear randomness of a straight d20 roll with a bell curve of 2dsomethings. <br /><br />wow, I hardly ever write a blog entry anymore.redbeardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04600098550347299095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-21398178731151643572012-05-27T09:58:24.021-07:002012-05-27T09:58:24.021-07:00@ Shlomo: Sure...and that's learned through ex...@ Shlomo: Sure...and that's learned through experience.<br /><br />But so many games start on the foot that "here...here's how we use the dice. Here are The Rules; here is the almighty game mechanic." And GMs reading that feel beholden to following it...right up until it sucks to do so.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08532311924539491087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-37064582889514855172012-05-27T05:33:47.466-07:002012-05-27T05:33:47.466-07:00i believe that an important skill for any gm is to...i believe that an important skill for any gm is to get a feeling for when to randomize and when to choose an event or a course of action.<br /><br />balance and timing is key.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com