Flavor will saves?

[Kahuna Burger]

So when playing a very 'wild' druid once, the party ended up on a spaceship. (don't ask.) To get to a fight, the party laoded into a fairly small, fully metal, oilly smelling elevator. The DM described the elevator to me, knowing my character would object, but didn't impose anything explicitly. So, I made a quick will save with I think a 15 or so DC for my own use. When it failed, the druid hung back from the elevator and had to be specificly entreated by one of her close friends in the party to enter. (losing a bit of face in the proccess.)

A house rules thread on blocking a ray effect (risking 'taking it' for the ally) got me thinking about this, and I wondered - do others ever use 'flavor' will saves to resolve situations where you know that established character traits go against what you'd like to do? Just roleplay it? Or is it just a holdover from my formative point based (disads) rp expereince and silly to consider in D&D? ( at self)

Kahuna Burger

 

[ptrpete]

I think the idea of "flavour" will saves is a good one. People often have situations where they know they should do one thing, but want to do another. E.g. There is soemone I know is trouble and would just take advantage of me, but I'm still attracted to her. Which impulse will win? Probably the rational "stay away", but not definately. If I wanted to roll-play my life, a d20 roll, 3 or higher I stay away, might represent that.

To use your example: the druid must have, at some level, realised that he had to get in the elevator. But all his years of fearing towns and technology overcame that rational knowlege. Lowering the DC as he faces more such situations would represent his oversoming those fears.

 

[KingOfChaos]

A house rules thread on blocking a ray effect (risking 'taking it' for the ally) got me thinking about this, and I wondered - do others ever use 'flavor' will saves to resolve situations where you know that established character traits go against what you'd like to do? Just roleplay it? Or is it just a holdover from my formative point based (disads) rp expereince and silly to consider in D&D? ( at self)

Kahuna Burger

Several times actually. I have a soul mech abjurer who is a hypochondriac and a clean freak. I have to roll a will save to do even the most mundane task dealing with dead bodies, entering a dirty room, etc. It's just part of the character and helps guide the roleplaying

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Re: Re: Flavor will saves?

Several times actually. I have a soul mech abjurer who is a hypochondriac and a clean freak. I have to roll a will save to do even the most mundane task dealing with dead bodies, entering a dirty room, etc. It's just part of the character and helps guide the roleplaying

Glad I'm not the only one. I think its important to find the middle ground between changing your character whenever RP would interfere with what you want to accomplish, and turning quirks into unbreakable geas'. (geases? gea? whats the plural, anyway?)

Kahuna Burger

 

[Dingleberry]

Yes. Players with less-than-brilliant PCs also often make "flavor" Intelligence checks to see if the character would have thought of what the player just did.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Yes. Players with less-than-brilliant PCs also often make "flavor" Intelligence checks to see if the character would have thought of what the player just did.

heh, voluntarily or at DM order? I sometimes do the opposite as a dm - ask for a int or wis check and give a small hint towards something the players haven't picked up on or asked about.

Kahuna Burger

 

[shilsen]

I've used them voluntarily a number of times as a player, especially when I'm playing a character who is a little chaotic and/or not as smart as me.

 

[Dingleberry]

heh, voluntarily or at DM order? I sometimes do the opposite as a dm - ask for a int or wis check and give a small hint towards something the players haven't picked up on or asked about.

Usually voluntarily. As a DM, I have no problem telling a player "your character doesn't know that," but I'm loathe to say "your character couldn't have figured that out."

I also do the opposite, as you do, if the players are a little slower than their characters.

 

[mmadsen]

Pendragon

This sounds just like Pendragon's Trait checks.