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How do you handle a skill check if needed.
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<blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 7791730" data-attributes="member: 97077"><p>With regard to recalling lore, I'm basically looking for a <em>fictional justification</em> for recalling a <em>specific thing</em>. Generally I'm sufficiently thorough in my description of the environment to give the players enough information to have their characters act. If at that point they're seeking some additional information, I want to know specifically what they want to do. "I want to know more about trolls..." just isn't enough for me to go on. Are you trying to recall strengths and weaknesses? Something about troll culture? What this particular troll's history is in the region, or perhaps its goals? What trolls generally eat? This is the player stating a goal.</p><p></p><p>Once I have an idea of what they actually want to know (presumably because they will then make use of it for some sort of advantage), I will want some kind of reason why they might recall it. "I've read every book in the world's greatest libraries - or I like to boast that I have," the player of the sage wizard might say. This is the player effectively stating an approach in that he or she is drawing upon that experience. Great, now I can decide if that is sufficient to just give him or her the knowledge that is sought (or not) or whether we roll for it. (And in this particular example, it sounds like the player is fishing for Inspiration using the sage background's personality trait - ding!)</p><p></p><p>If there is a check and the player blows it, I'm generally going to rule something like progress combined with a setback which in this case is typically giving you some information, just not what you specifically wanted. Maybe you can make it useful, maybe you can't. The meaningful consequence for failure here is not being able to act on the advantageous information you desired (or, rather, not acting with certainty because you might then act on an assumption). That's certainly not as "meaningful" as a trap blowing up in your face, but it works in my view.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="iserith, post: 7791730, member: 97077"] With regard to recalling lore, I'm basically looking for a [I]fictional justification[/I] for recalling a [I]specific thing[/I]. Generally I'm sufficiently thorough in my description of the environment to give the players enough information to have their characters act. If at that point they're seeking some additional information, I want to know specifically what they want to do. "I want to know more about trolls..." just isn't enough for me to go on. Are you trying to recall strengths and weaknesses? Something about troll culture? What this particular troll's history is in the region, or perhaps its goals? What trolls generally eat? This is the player stating a goal. Once I have an idea of what they actually want to know (presumably because they will then make use of it for some sort of advantage), I will want some kind of reason why they might recall it. "I've read every book in the world's greatest libraries - or I like to boast that I have," the player of the sage wizard might say. This is the player effectively stating an approach in that he or she is drawing upon that experience. Great, now I can decide if that is sufficient to just give him or her the knowledge that is sought (or not) or whether we roll for it. (And in this particular example, it sounds like the player is fishing for Inspiration using the sage background's personality trait - ding!) If there is a check and the player blows it, I'm generally going to rule something like progress combined with a setback which in this case is typically giving you some information, just not what you specifically wanted. Maybe you can make it useful, maybe you can't. The meaningful consequence for failure here is not being able to act on the advantageous information you desired (or, rather, not acting with certainty because you might then act on an assumption). That's certainly not as "meaningful" as a trap blowing up in your face, but it works in my view. [/QUOTE]
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