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Have Critical Failures that hurt you ever been an official rule.
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<blockquote data-quote="Argyle King" data-source="post: 6108556" data-attributes="member: 58416"><p>In systems where I feel they're done well, I'd say having a system which allows criticals (whether being success of failure) allow for edge cases to exist in the game. While it is unlikely for someone to fall several thousand feet and survive with minimal injuries, it has happened. Likewise, on occasion, David might manage to sling a stone so perfectly that it fells Goliath in one shot. These are things which are outside of what is expected, but not entirely outside of what is possible. It allows for the occasional spark of surprise and unlikely turn of event. I see that as a good thing because reducing the game to results which are entirely predictable -with no room for variance- would be somewhat boring.</p><p></p><p>It's also worth noting that failure can be just as much of a contribution to story as success. A spectacular success is something fondly remembered, but so too is a spectacular failure which leads to interesting events.</p><p></p><p>Personally, I like having an element of unpredictability. I feel it adds something to the game by acknowledging the fact that sometimes events are controlled by things which we have no control over. You might have every piece of equipment needed, and prepare for every possible thing you can think of, but that still doesn't guarantee events will play out a certain way. The vast majority of the time, they probably will play out as expected, but there are times when it will not. Fumbles cover those times. The problem as I see it in D&D is that those times -times which should be outliers of chance- become too commonplace; even worse, they become more commonplace as combatants become more skilled and gain more attacks.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Argyle King, post: 6108556, member: 58416"] In systems where I feel they're done well, I'd say having a system which allows criticals (whether being success of failure) allow for edge cases to exist in the game. While it is unlikely for someone to fall several thousand feet and survive with minimal injuries, it has happened. Likewise, on occasion, David might manage to sling a stone so perfectly that it fells Goliath in one shot. These are things which are outside of what is expected, but not entirely outside of what is possible. It allows for the occasional spark of surprise and unlikely turn of event. I see that as a good thing because reducing the game to results which are entirely predictable -with no room for variance- would be somewhat boring. It's also worth noting that failure can be just as much of a contribution to story as success. A spectacular success is something fondly remembered, but so too is a spectacular failure which leads to interesting events. Personally, I like having an element of unpredictability. I feel it adds something to the game by acknowledging the fact that sometimes events are controlled by things which we have no control over. You might have every piece of equipment needed, and prepare for every possible thing you can think of, but that still doesn't guarantee events will play out a certain way. The vast majority of the time, they probably will play out as expected, but there are times when it will not. Fumbles cover those times. The problem as I see it in D&D is that those times -times which should be outliers of chance- become too commonplace; even worse, they become more commonplace as combatants become more skilled and gain more attacks. [/QUOTE]
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Have Critical Failures that hurt you ever been an official rule.
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