What do you do when your players refuse to succeed?

[Greg K]

I like action points, but many are resistant to anything they feel bears the taint of Eberron.
I also hardly ever fudge rolls, it just doesn't feel right to me.!

just tell your players that action points pre-date Eberron and that many rpgs over the past twenty years or so have used mechanics with similar goal of helping protect PCs from bad die rolls.

 

[howandwhy99]

Maybe open up the game so they can choose something other than fighting?

Maybe build in some easy to notice escape routes?

Give the enemies stupid tactics. Ogres are tough, but their stupidity is their weakness.

Give weak enemies good tactics. >>>> and have the players learn from observation of them fighting the PCs.

If they are actually choosing failure, seeking it IOW, then I don't know what to tell you. Maybe that's fun for them. I'd find out.

 

[DestroyYouAlot]

Maybe open up the game so they can choose something other than fighting?

Maybe build in some easy to notice escape routes?

Give the enemies stupid tactics. Ogres are tough, but their stupidity is their weakness.

Give weak enemies good tactics. >>>> and have the players learn from observation of them fighting the PCs.

If they are actually choosing failure, seeking it IOW, then I don't know what to tell you. Maybe that's fun for them. I'd find out.

+1 across the board - good ideas, all.

 

[Drowbane]

the PCs, that is.

What do you do when your players refuse to succeed?

Kill them... and take thier stuff.

 

[werk]

just tell your players that action points pre-date Eberron and that many rpgs over the past twenty years or so have used mechanics with similar goal of helping protect PCs from bad die rolls.

That is what is commonly called preaching to the choir.

But thanks for you advice...

 

[cerberus2112]

There's always the option of crazy rituals to psych out the dice.

NO, they don't need to psych out the dice, they need to psych up the dice!

 

[Dragonblade]

A d20 is simply a piece of molded plastic. It has no memory, no soul, and no malice.

Clearly you have never played with some of my dice.

 

[cougent]

After a similar situation as described, but all occurring in one session, I introduced a house rule that once per session a player may on any given roll "take 20". However this allows me to at some later point in the same session "Give 1". If the player chooses to use it as an attack roll it is an automatic critical. [I do not ever use confirming rolls]

There are other methods that give essentially the same effect, but most of them do not have the counter balancing give 1 effect. If the group is doing really badly that effect can be "forgotten" by the DM or employed later if their fate turns in a different direction.