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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jester David" data-source="post: 7122538" data-attributes="member: 37579">I had a similar idea a few years back:<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?332360-Dread-Pool-(dice-idea)" target="_blank">http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?332360-Dread-Pool-(dice-idea)</a>I called it the "Dread Pool" drawing inspiration from the game of Dread more than tracking time. The idea was more one of tone: as the game progressed, the dice pool would grow increasing the tension until something bad happens. Building the feeling of inevitable disaster. Because the point isn't if something bad happens but when something bad will happen.But I think the dice pool system is too random to discourage wasting time at the table. Firstly, it requires more DM thought as you suddenly need to come up with penalty for a failure. This can be cool. The little external motivator for conflict or complications. It's a little less DM fiat for when problems occur. Which is cool and can have some fun story problems. And makes the DM more reactive as they don't know when the complications are going to occur. But it's random and might not happen an appropriate times for the pacing of the session.At best it's just a different way of rolling random encounters and encouraging random encounters to be something other than monsters. It also penalises the players for being sidetracked. It discourages players veering off the story and doing their own thing. The small moments like shopping for a hat. Or burying a fallen NPC. Checking for traps in an un-trapped hallway. It adds a penalty to engaging with the world and the story. And Odin help them if they follow a red herring or focus on the wrong part of the plot and wander off the rails. It also relies on the dice to determine the penalty for wasting time. There's no direct cause and effect: the penalty for wasting time is random. (Generally when it's least dramatic or appropriate if my time as a DM has proven anything...)If the players are lucky and the dice roll high, they can waste hours on needless tasks. (Or having that long rest). Or they can waste a little time returning to a shop and trigger a random monster.</blockquote>

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