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Dread Pool (dice idea)
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<blockquote data-quote="Matthias" data-source="post: 6056624" data-attributes="member: 3625"><p>This is a nice idea.</p><p></p><p>When to add another die to the pool? Probably whenever you notice any of the players beginning to take for granted their characters' current health and safety. You don't want PCs acting like Shaggy and Scooby-Doo at every turn, but only when you pick up on some excessive hubris in decisionmaking or even when you simply feel the need to turn up the "fear and terror" another notch. It may be difficult to determine intent if the player figures out what behaviors will add to the Dread pool, but an experienced GM should be able to notice when a PC starts taking what would be considered unnecessary risks (remembering, of course, that PCs always act on limited information).</p><p></p><p>You should also keep a secret the actual number of Dread Dice that are in the pool. Keep the exact number concealed at all times, and tell the players only that you have added a die or dice. The math-wiz players will attempt to keep track of the number in the pool at any one time, but the concealment prevents them from being 100% certain even if they have been accurately keeping track.</p><p></p><p>Then, when the Very Bad Thing does happen, you should shrink the Dread pool a little bit, releasing some of the tension, but it should never shrink to the same initial amount. This also keeps the players guessing as to the exact number of dice in the pool at any one time. (It would ruin the mood if players calculated the odds of any die rolling a 1 out of some number of d20's, or worse, if they actually work out a chart for it.) The worse the Bad Thing that happens, the more the Dread pool will shrink. Though you decide on the exact number of dice to take away, you should only describe the reduction as an estimated fraction, such as 1/4, 1/2, 1/3, 2/3, 3/4....being vague will work better than stating an exact number since the math wizzes will simply make the appropriate calculation. 12 dice take away 7 could be stated as a reduction "by about a half" or it could be a reduction "by about two thirds". This could mean anything from 4 to 6 (or 7) dice remaining, and a significant difference in the odds of any of the dice coming up a natural 1. (If my statistics are correct, that would be 18.5% for 4d20 vs. 30.2% for 7d20). Enough leeway remains to let the players make an estimate of the remaining size of the Dread pool (plus any later additions), but never be sure of the exact number.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Matthias, post: 6056624, member: 3625"] This is a nice idea. When to add another die to the pool? Probably whenever you notice any of the players beginning to take for granted their characters' current health and safety. You don't want PCs acting like Shaggy and Scooby-Doo at every turn, but only when you pick up on some excessive hubris in decisionmaking or even when you simply feel the need to turn up the "fear and terror" another notch. It may be difficult to determine intent if the player figures out what behaviors will add to the Dread pool, but an experienced GM should be able to notice when a PC starts taking what would be considered unnecessary risks (remembering, of course, that PCs always act on limited information). You should also keep a secret the actual number of Dread Dice that are in the pool. Keep the exact number concealed at all times, and tell the players only that you have added a die or dice. The math-wiz players will attempt to keep track of the number in the pool at any one time, but the concealment prevents them from being 100% certain even if they have been accurately keeping track. Then, when the Very Bad Thing does happen, you should shrink the Dread pool a little bit, releasing some of the tension, but it should never shrink to the same initial amount. This also keeps the players guessing as to the exact number of dice in the pool at any one time. (It would ruin the mood if players calculated the odds of any die rolling a 1 out of some number of d20's, or worse, if they actually work out a chart for it.) The worse the Bad Thing that happens, the more the Dread pool will shrink. Though you decide on the exact number of dice to take away, you should only describe the reduction as an estimated fraction, such as 1/4, 1/2, 1/3, 2/3, 3/4....being vague will work better than stating an exact number since the math wizzes will simply make the appropriate calculation. 12 dice take away 7 could be stated as a reduction "by about a half" or it could be a reduction "by about two thirds". This could mean anything from 4 to 6 (or 7) dice remaining, and a significant difference in the odds of any of the dice coming up a natural 1. (If my statistics are correct, that would be 18.5% for 4d20 vs. 30.2% for 7d20). Enough leeway remains to let the players make an estimate of the remaining size of the Dread pool (plus any later additions), but never be sure of the exact number. [/QUOTE]
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