Clue Roles

[Quickleaf]

I found this post on a Mutants & Masterminds forum that really impressed me. (unfortunately, I don't know the link) Basically, it is a system for allowing the players a degree of narrative control. Whenever a roll is made to gather information, a "Clue Roll", the player says "I expect XYZ", makes the roll, then consults this table...

CLUE ROLES
Fail by 10 or More: No, And
Fail by 5 or More: No, But
Fail by less than 5: No, But or Yes, But (at GM's discretion)
Success by less than 5: Yes, But
Success by more than 5: Yes (Player narrates)
Success by more than 10: Yes, And

GM Narates "NO" plus "AND" on a failure and "BUT" on a success
Player Narates "YES" plus "AND" on success and "BUT" on failure.
Only one “Clue Roll” per character per scene
Only one “Clue Roll” per skill per scene

For example: Say I'm playing Clatterstar, who is about to listen to the other side of a door. I would say "I think that the evil Daimyo is giving orders to his minions to set sail when the fog bank rolls in." Clatterstar has a +6 Listen skill, and the DM sets the difficulty at 16. I roll a 10, for a total of 16...barely a success. Consulting the table, I find that I succeeding by less than 5, for a results of 'Yes, but.' Therefore, it is as I suspected, the daimyo indeeds orders his minions. The DM, however, narrates, "BUT a whispery voice hisses 'My liege, someone is behind that door! There are intruders in the castle!'"

What do you think of this method of role-playing?

 

[Stalker0]

I takes a lot of the narrative control away from the dm....but at the same time I think it would help get the players much more into the story.

As long as the players don't start abusing it for their own advantage, but instead to create an interesting narrative, I think its a great idea.

 

[domino]

I don't like it. Much in the same way I don't like the favor mechanics from Spycraft. If the players want to do that, they should be able to, and then the GM should just decide to allow it or not.

 

[Nifft]

i'd rather this was some sort of non-skill-related Charisma check, where the threads of Fate conspire in favor of the pretty, or something like that.

I'd allow something like it, but it would be something that a PC would have to spend a Fate Point (or Action Point or what have you) just to get a roll, and even then there would have to be a decent chance of failure.

Consider that you're giving away a near-wish level effect.

-- N