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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ovinomancer" data-source="post: 8682069" data-attributes="member: 16814">Info gathering is a big divergence from trad play, in that it's not about finding details about what scenario the GM has prepped, but rather creating the game as you play.  I'd never, ever use false information as a low rest.  One, this creates secret information, and two, the PCs are expected to be competent, so this isn't really in line with that.  1-3 results should be information that is challenging to the PCs -- little to no upside, significant downside or challenge.  4-5 is good intel with a twist -- something is missing/harder than expected/surprising and unwelcome.  A 6 should be good info -- if it's about an established challenge, give good details on it, if seeking info, be forthcoming and nail down some useful details that the PCs can leverage.  On a crit, provide something extra and useful -- an added bonus or a shortcut through anticipated danger or a way to knock down the danger if leveraged (like maybe a virus installed that will shut down security for a minute or two at a critical moment -- doesn't autowin the job, but makes an interesting play available).This isn't at all locked in, though, it can be anything.  The point of info gathering, though, is that it's info gathering and that's important to play.  So don't block, go with the questions asked, feel free to establish small things that make sense (it's supposed to be a challenge) and follow the questions the players are asking and the dice.So, I like this, but some quibbles.  I look at resistance rolls not as retcons, but as efforts to prevent the obvious consequence coming in.  If you require the players to tell you how they resist the consequence, then you just roll that into the narration.  Like, "oh, a 2?  And desperate position?  That's gonna be harm 3, badly burned chest from his blaster bolt catching you."  Player: "ouch, I'm going to resist that with Prowess."  "Sure, you can resist that down to Harm 2, what's that look like?"  "Okay, I twist away and the blaster bolt only scores along my chest instead of catching me full on, so still a nasty burn, but not like my whole chest, just a line."  "Cool."On flashbacks, it's a judgement call, but I'd say that was a normal flashback instead of a serious one.  My metrics for flashbacks are:0 -- minor detail established allowing a move that doesn't change the situation much.  So, like placing a piece of specialist gear in a good place that was accessibly prior to the mission, or having a cohort show up in an easily arranged way/place/time, etc.1 -- significant detail that allows a new way to address a problem.  This is where I'd put the example above -- it allows you to move from "guard raise alarm unless you shoot/silence him" to "can try and talk your way past the guard."  It's changed the situation to allow a new way forward but hasn't resolved the problem or really made any headway to resolving the problem.2 -- major detail that resolves a problem or makes significant headway towards resolving the problem.  For example, I'd modify the above example to "Oh, that's Fred, I met him at the bar last week and paid him off to let us pass."  That's 2 stress.The other major thing to remember about flashbacks is that they still require a check and they may have associated costs. If you pay someone off, you need to give the coin (and doing so may remove the need for a check).  If the check on a flashback is a 1-3 or a 4-5, introduce the complication now, in the scene.  So, with Fred, if the meet to get him friendly so you can talk him down has a failed check, then Fred is pissed about the merchandise sold because it turned out to be broken/fake/bad in some way and so he'll listen, but you'll also need to overcome him being pissed at you as well.  As an aside, you can also let some consequences be pushed into the future, like "okay, you tell Fred that you'll make good, and have convinced him, so he'll look the other way for now, but I'm starting a 4 tick clock that I'll be making a Tier 2 check against every downtime until you clear it that represents Fred losing his patience and turning you in to (whoever is scariest).  That means 2d6, so it can go off in one go if it crits, you good with that?"</blockquote>

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