Ideas for "One Unique Things"

[DMZ2112]

This thread makes me sad that all my players are idiots.

 

[cavalier973]

This is a really intriguing idea. So basically, you ask if they want gold for their roll up front or an unspecified bonus later in the session?

My main concern would be that the players might simply always choose gold.

You could hint at what the alternatives (weapons/armor/information) might be to entice them to turn the cash down.

 

[Zephrin the Lost]

This is a really intriguing idea. So basically, you ask if they want gold for their roll up front or an unspecified bonus later in the session?

My main concern would be that the players might simply always choose gold.

Well what I do is everyone makes their icon roles at the start of the session. I make a list of the 5's and 6's, who got them and what icon and what relationship. The players should note their rolls as well. Then throughout the session a player can make a suggestion about how he wants to use his roll, or I may make a suggestion. I try to have a very open mind about what they can use them for- everything from a re-roll in combat to a boost on a ability check to a power recharge etc. The players have to convince me it makes sense- so the barbarian who rolled a 6 conflicted with the orc lord could tell me that his experiences with the orc tribes give him a benefit in this battle with orcs, and use his 6 and use an extra rage or so on.

If I make a suggestion, it's usually when the players are struggling or stuck. This team doesn't have a rogue. They were faced with a blocked passage that knock didn't seem to have the juice for. I knew he bard had a 5 with the archmage so I said if we wants to use that now he can use his experience in the archmage's employ to put a little extra kick in the spell and get the passage open. He agreed and they got the passage open but as it was a 5 there needed to be some complication in the outcome so I said he opened the portal so forcefully it damage the structure in a way that effected the ensuing combat.

Dos that make sense?

 

[demoss]

Also to place many intermediaries between the icons and the PC's, so it's not the icons helping out and /or messing with them directly but rather their agents or operatives.

This is really interesting to me. I'm having trouble deciding one the amount of intermediaries myself. My current thought is to model things a bit after the Three Musketeers: even when they do missions for the King, but the missions come to them through intermediaries -- but when they do good, the King will hear it was them who did it.

Did you find that the intermediaries confused things, or watered them down, or what?

Hope that helps!

Awesome, thanks!

(Um, oh, threadjack? Sooorry...)

 

[cavalier973]

This thread makes me sad that all my players are idiots.

What do you mean?

 

[cavalier973]

(Um, oh, threadjack? Sooorry...)

Not a problem! I'll enjoy the reputation of someone who starts interesting threads.

 

[Alzrius]

My bard character's OUT is that he wrote the song "One Unique Thing" as part of the boy-band Know Direction. Today, he keeps this fact hidden, lest adoring mobs of tween girls or hateful mobs of everyone else tear him apart.

 

[DMZ2112]

What do you mean?

I originally wrote, "This thread makes me want to play 13th Age," and then I had a mental image of painstakingly developing a campaign for months only to be faced at character generation with a table of players whose ideas of "One Unique Thing" amounted to "Best rouge evar" and "Knows 300 different ways to weaponize dysentery."

I hate players.

 

[cavalier973]

I originally wrote, "This thread makes me want to play 13th Age," and then I had a mental image of painstakingly developing a campaign for months only to be faced at character generation with a table of players whose ideas of "One Unique Thing" amounted to "Best rouge evar" and "Knows 300 different ways to weaponize dysentery."

I hate players.

I imagine that character creation in 13th Age takes a lot longer, as it is a collaborative effort between player and DM. If I ever DM a game, then I'm likely to pass out pre-mades and give them time to customize the characters with OUT, Backgrounds, and Icon Relationships.

In a couple of the podcasts I've listened to with Rob Heinsoo, he seems to do a good job molding people's OUT to fit the game better. That is, if he thinks a OUT would provide a unique advantage, he tones it back ("You're just a level one adventurer; you might be able to fly around with your wings at some point, but right now they seem to get in the way more often than not. You'll take a penalty to some check rolls, but you don't take as much damage from falling.")

 

[demoss]

Back on track -- the OUTs and some backgrounds from our table:

Ex-Head Librarian to the Elf-Queen: "I've done something the Elf-Queen cannot forgive." It's been mostly established that this involved accidentally reading out loud from the wrong book in the Little Reading Room, leading to troubles with tentacles and shifting dimensions. The worst has been cleared up, but the signs still say "DO NOT GO TO THE STACKS ALONE" for a good reason. (High Elf Wizard)

"I'm a dwarven artifact from a bygone age, discovered and activated by the drow in the deep underworld." A hydraulic dwarf-made golem that runs with crystals distilled by the drow from the poison of the underworld. (Forgeborn Fighter)

"I see dead people." Yeap, straight from the book. ...but wait for the background: Trained by my father, a priest of shadows, to succeed him as a temple thief to the Priestess. If you've listened to BJ Shea's 13th Age podcasts, I *must* say that this came 100% from the player -- twisted minds think alike. (Human Rogue)

"While captain of High Druid's rangers, I took advantage of unique circumstances and bound the creatures of the Blood Wood to defense of the Sea Wall; the High Druid was not pleased." (Half Elf Ranger)

"Unknown to myself, I'm the reincarnation of the 1st Age Orc Lord." He's actually a very human-seeming orc, raised by a paladin of the Great Gold Wyrm in secrecy. He believes he carries a taint of some undefined sin and must redeem himself through good deeds. (Half-Orc Paladin)

...I just flat out love how they came out.