GMMichael
Guide of Modos
Having just finished the Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, it occurred to me that there is a way to fly in D&D without using magic, wings, spells, a boarding pass, or any of that other nonsense. You just have to throw yourself at the ground. And miss. If you fail to hit the ground, the logical outcome is that you must be flying. As Douglas Adams notes, once flying, it's best not to pay too much attention to the fact, and definitely don't touch or concentrate on anything that's very heavy.
By regulation, it would go like this: declare your intent to hit the ground. This is a Very Easy task, with a DC of 5. You'll probably want to use your worst ability for the attempt, and it would help if you didn't keep re-rolling during character creation until all of your abilities were above 9. Next, you'll need Disadvantage. In the Guide, this is accomplished by having something nearby distract you from your goal. Or you could remember something important or odd as a distraction, just before hitting the ground. With a bit of luck, your total will be 4 or less, you'll fail to hit the ground, and technically be flying afterward. Try a swoop or two, but don't think too much about it.
Absurd, isn't it?
That's what can happen when you play with pass/fail systems. Rarely are things so black and white that pass/fail will describe a helpful outcome. A major application of this is dealing damage - not in-game, but in-rules. The rules say that you roll damage when you pass, and you don't when you fail. But that doesn't tell you much about what happens in-game (because what happens in-game isn't black and white).
For example, a Fail in Dungeon World isn't the end of a check. It's the GM's invitation to make a Move against you - something interesting that happens beyond simple failure. Or Genesys colors its pass/fails with advantages, threats, triumphs, and despairs, if you have a little patience.
Do you use a non-pass/fail system? Does it allow for spontaneous character flight?
By regulation, it would go like this: declare your intent to hit the ground. This is a Very Easy task, with a DC of 5. You'll probably want to use your worst ability for the attempt, and it would help if you didn't keep re-rolling during character creation until all of your abilities were above 9. Next, you'll need Disadvantage. In the Guide, this is accomplished by having something nearby distract you from your goal. Or you could remember something important or odd as a distraction, just before hitting the ground. With a bit of luck, your total will be 4 or less, you'll fail to hit the ground, and technically be flying afterward. Try a swoop or two, but don't think too much about it.
Absurd, isn't it?
That's what can happen when you play with pass/fail systems. Rarely are things so black and white that pass/fail will describe a helpful outcome. A major application of this is dealing damage - not in-game, but in-rules. The rules say that you roll damage when you pass, and you don't when you fail. But that doesn't tell you much about what happens in-game (because what happens in-game isn't black and white).
For example, a Fail in Dungeon World isn't the end of a check. It's the GM's invitation to make a Move against you - something interesting that happens beyond simple failure. Or Genesys colors its pass/fails with advantages, threats, triumphs, and despairs, if you have a little patience.
Do you use a non-pass/fail system? Does it allow for spontaneous character flight?