The highs and lows!

[CPezet]

Hello,

I have been discussing with my friend where we should put the bonus and penalties for a system that we are pulling together. The system uses the sum of 2D10's to determine outcomes with higher results being a better success.

The way we have it currently set up is that on a natural 1 a player will receive a point of willpower (so on a roll of double ones a player will receive 2 points of willpower). This willpower can be used to add a bonus to dice rolls and other things going forwards.

On a roll of a natural 10 the player will need to check to see if any item they are using becomes faulty, this is done by rerolling the natural 10 after the original skill check is resolved, and looking at the number that is rolled (double 10's mean that each dice needs to do this separately and the results looked at individually).

Some people have said that this feels strange to be punished for rolling well and rewarded for rolling poorly. While others feel that it balances things out and helps to and mitigates the highs and lows creating a more tempered playing experience.

So I thought I would throw this one out to the forums and see what people thought, and whether or not it should be reversed with willpower rewarding good rolls and item faults occurring as a result of bad rolls, or did we get it right the way we have it now.

 

[Clayness]

Going to give just my own sentiment, nothing scientific or anything, but personally I would feel it was slightly awkward, I love the rush of a good roll when I'm a player, and getting a negative effect along with it would spoil it a bit I think. And the glee when someone gets a bad roll is sometimes awesome too. I just love the highs and lows, and diminishing them would make 'em feel worth less

 

[Dethklok]

Some people have said that this feels strange to be punished for rolling well and rewarded for rolling poorly. While others feel that it balances things out and helps to and mitigates the highs and lows creating a more tempered playing experience.

Unmitigated randomness can definitely create problems. One gamer I introduced to the hobby started out her first adventure with a string of critical failures - 1 in 36 chance for the 2d6 system we were using. On the other hand, some of the most fun we've had was watching that perfect roll come up when it was really needed. So I see your dilemma.

But CPezet, the thing to bear in mind every time you add a rule is that this rule will add complication, slow gameplay, and increase the length of the ruleset. What benefit is received to offset this cost? Is there any benefit at all?

True, your proposed rule helps to smooth randomness, but the way you're smoothing randomness itself comes with two costs - as Clayness pointed out, it actually saps some of that rush from the game, and it's also less realistic than not having any rule at all, since failures tend to demoralize, not strengthen resolve.

So I'd suggest against this idea. You're paying for something that wouldn't be worth having even if it were free. There are plenty of ways of reducing randomess which also reduce your game's ruleset. These are the ideas which will produce a net benefit.

 

[steenan]

I like the approach the OP described.

Willpower reward for poor rolls is nice. It does not prevent failure, but it gives a PC who suffered a string of failures to come back with a great success against the odds, due to willpower points gained. Dungeon World uses a similar mechanism, with XP reward for failed (6-) rolls and I really like how it affects play.

Equipment damage on critical success may be somewhat problematic if treated as a random complication. But if the damage is presented as a result or reason of the success, it definitely makes the scene more dramatic.
"Your thrust is so powerful that the sword breaks, leaving half of the blade in ogre's stomach. That must be painful."
"You manage to channel more magic than you ever thought you could; not just protecting yourself from impact but stopping the entire avalanche. Your staff shines like a sun for a moment and then shatters, overwhelmed by the power you forced through it."

 

[CPezet]

Thanks for the feedback it all helps!

We plan to get the system playtested as much as possible. We may find people end up house-ruling it the other way to the way depicted or removing the rule altogether. Or maybe people will be happy with it the way it is.

Either way the more people that let us know how they feel about the issue the more we have to work with.

Thanks,

Craig