User Tools

Site Tools


dm_s_guide_chapter_2

Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revision Previous revision
Next revision
Previous revision
dm_s_guide_chapter_2 [2018/12/21 11:21]
triptycho [Freeform Roleplay]
dm_s_guide_chapter_2 [2019/05/01 11:05]
triptycho [Quick & Improvised Activities]
Line 6: Line 6:
 ===== The Role of Scenarios ===== ===== The Role of Scenarios =====
  
-The typical Triptycho adventure can be boiled down to a series of [[scenario|scenarios]]. ​ After the players complete the final scenario, they advance to the next level and begin a new adventure.  ​Within an adventure, each scenario offers the potential for rewards, such as [[wealth|Wealth]],​ [[karma|Karma]],​ [[gear|Gear]],​ or advancing the story in a desired manner. ​ However, failing scenarios can result in undesired outcomes, including loss of access to rewards, having the story advance in an unfavorable manner, or, in certain rare cases, ending the game in failure.+The typical Triptycho adventure can be boiled down to a series of [[scenario|scenarios]]. Within an adventure, each scenario offers the potential for rewards, such as [[wealth|Wealth]],​ [[karma|Karma]],​ [[gear|Gear]],​ or advancing the story in a desired manner. However, failing scenarios can result in undesired outcomes, including loss of access to rewards, having the story advance in an unfavorable manner, or, in certain rare cases, ending the game in failure.
  
 ==== Moving Between Scenarios ==== ==== Moving Between Scenarios ====
Line 30: Line 30:
 Or maybe instead you simply have the players flee the losing battle. ​ You could run an exploration scenario to see if they get away, or just let them flee safely, but now at a cost; they'​ve been driven way off course and can no longer take the main roads due to the bandit threat. ​ So, they have to go a long way around through rugged terrain, which could mean new exploration scenarios. ​ Or perhaps they retreat to get troops from the local feudal lord to clear the bandits, which means a new interaction scenario. Or maybe instead you simply have the players flee the losing battle. ​ You could run an exploration scenario to see if they get away, or just let them flee safely, but now at a cost; they'​ve been driven way off course and can no longer take the main roads due to the bandit threat. ​ So, they have to go a long way around through rugged terrain, which could mean new exploration scenarios. ​ Or perhaps they retreat to get troops from the local feudal lord to clear the bandits, which means a new interaction scenario.
  
-A common consequence for failure, particularly for combat, is to simply give an [[injury|injury]] to each PC. Narratively,​ this could be wounds sustained while fleeing the battle, or the PCs could even come out on top in the end, but worse for the wear. You should choose a narrative explanation that best fits the circumstances of your story.+A common consequence for failure, particularly for combat, is to simply give an [[injury|Injury]] to each PC. Narratively,​ this could be wounds sustained while fleeing the battle, or the PCs could even come out on top in the end, but worse for the wear. You should choose a narrative explanation that best fits the circumstances of your story.
  
-There are some specific, rare exceptions to fail forward, where losing could cost the PCs their lives and end the story. ​ Generally speaking, these should be restricted to two situations: either climactic scenarios that represent the end of an arc, or at the end of a series of failures from which it becomes unreasonable to continue moving forward. ​ In the case of a climactic scene, ending the game on a failed note there may actually be relatively satisfying, since the story was destined to end anyway.+==== Life-or-Death ====
  
-In the case of a string ​of failuresit's generally more acceptable ​to a player that, if they'​ve lost that many times in a rowthen they'​ve really lost the game.  It's rather unlikely to happen; even if string of bad luck with dice and cards dooms the players ​to fail in a given scenario, it probably won't continue across even more rolls and draws several scenarios later. ​ However, it can build tension as players start to realize that things are getting worse and worse; this tension can make for exciting moments, especially once they finally succeed and turn things around.+There are some specific, rare exceptions to fail forward, where losing could cost the PCs their lives and end the story. Generally speaking, these should be restricted to two situations: either climactic scenarios that represent the end of an arc, or at the end of a series ​of failures ​from which it becomes unreasonable ​to continue moving forward. In the case of climactic sceneending ​the game on failed note there may actually be relatively satisfying, since the story was destined ​to end anyway.
  
-On the other hand, if the players keep failing scenarios because ​they're simply too difficultconsider making some adjustments to your designs instead of killing off the PCs and ending ​the game.  You don't want to punish your players ​for design errors you've made!  Generally speaking, players ​losing in this manner should be a result of poor choices ​and a string of really bad luck.+In the case of a string of failures, it's generally more acceptable to a player that, if they've lost that many times in a rowthen they'​ve really lost the game. It's rather unlikely ​to happen; even if a string of bad luck with dice and cards dooms the players ​to fail in a given scenario, it probably won't continue across even more rolls and draws several scenarios later. Howeverit can build tension as players ​start to realize that things are getting worse and worse; ​this tension can make for exciting moments, especially once they finally succeed ​and turn things around.
  
-When you create scenarios that are life-and-death, ​you should add a special option for defeated PCs to spend [[karma|Karma]] to recover some lost HP, EP, or WP Defeated PCs can choose to do this at the start of their turn (during the resolve effects portion ​of their draw phase); after recovering, they then take their full turn.  This can help avoid an untimely and unfortunate game-ending result so long as the PCs have enough Karma accumulated to keep going!+On the other hand, if the players keep failing scenarios because they'​re simply too difficult, consider making some adjustments to your designs instead of killing off the PCs and ending the game. You don't want to punish your players for design errors you've made! Generally speaking, players losing in this manner should be a result of poor choices and a string of really bad luck. 
 + 
 +When you create scenarios that are life-and-death,​ defeated PCs have the extra option ​to spend [[karma|Karma]] to recover some lost HP (usually1/3 of their max rounded up). Defeated PCs can choose to do this at the start of their turn (during the resolve effects portion); after recovering, they then take their full turn. This can help avoid an untimely and unfortunate game-ending result so long as the PCs have enough Karma accumulated to keep going! 
 + 
 +If you've crafted a life-or-death exploration or interaction scenario, you may need to create a unique set of options for spending Karma to evade death. For example, if captured PCs are trying to talk their way out of an imminent execution, and the Round Limit expires, WP recovery won't really help much. Instead, you may allow PCs to spend Karma to add to the Round Limit. This applies equally as well to exploration,​ where life-or-death is usually in a [[chase|chase]] scenario where the PCs are fleeing from certain death. 
 + 
 +PCs may also die as a result of accumulating Injuries, particularly in standard exploration scenarios or when against foes that can impose Injuries directly. In such cases you could allow spending Karma to instantly heal Injuries if they would otherwise result in character death. At higher levels you may want to permit recovery from multiple Injuries at once since an extra 5 points won't do much good at that level.
  
 ===== Down Time ===== ===== Down Time =====
Line 72: Line 78:
 ===== Quick & Improvised Activities ===== ===== Quick & Improvised Activities =====
  
-An alternative to running scenarios is to allow individual rolls of [[Charisma|Charisma]], [[Acrobatics|Acrobatics]],​ or [[Search|Search]], with an opposed roll dependent upon difficulty of the activity. This is appropriate when a full scenario is overkill for modeling an activity and especially whenever a PC is acting on their own rather than involving the whole group. Be careful about regularly allowing such rolls to bypass scenarios, however, as players may find that letting one PC with the highest Charisma do all the talking for them gives them better odds than playing out a scenario as a group. That is highly undesirable for most groups and should only be permitted if your group does not particularly enjoy playing interaction scenarios.+An alternative to running scenarios is to allow individual rolls of [[skill dice|Skill Dice]], with an opposed roll dependent upon difficulty of the activity. This is appropriate when a full scenario is overkill for modeling an activity and especially whenever a PC is acting on their own rather than involving the whole group. Be careful about regularly allowing such rolls to bypass scenarios, however, as players may find that letting one PC with the highest Charisma do all the talking for them gives them better odds than playing out a scenario as a group. That is highly undesirable for most groups and should only be permitted if your group does not particularly enjoy playing interaction scenarios.
  
 The appropriate roll to use depends on what kind of activity the player is attempting to perform. Charisma should be used with any effort to interact with another being, including silent efforts like trying to tell if they are lying or otherwise hiding something. Search should be used for any sort of perception-related efforts that don't involve other people, as well as problem-solving such as trying to find a safe place to tie a rope without risking a break. Acrobatics is appropriate for feats of physical ability, whether those of dexterity, strength, balance, or skill. The appropriate roll to use depends on what kind of activity the player is attempting to perform. Charisma should be used with any effort to interact with another being, including silent efforts like trying to tell if they are lying or otherwise hiding something. Search should be used for any sort of perception-related efforts that don't involve other people, as well as problem-solving such as trying to find a safe place to tie a rope without risking a break. Acrobatics is appropriate for feats of physical ability, whether those of dexterity, strength, balance, or skill.
  
-In the case where a player wants to attempt an activity not reasonably covered by any of these rolls or a scenario, it's usually best to skip rolling altogether and choose the outcome that would be the most fun and interesting for the players. If that's unclear, or a roll is really desired, choose a dice for the player to roll based on your best judgment of how skillful the character would be at the activity (based on the character'​s [[role|roles]], personality,​ experience, equipment, etc). Rolls representing the bottom level of skill should be performed with a 1d4, while the absolute highest levels of mastery would be represented with 1d20.+In the case where a player wants to attempt an activity not reasonably covered by any of these rolls or a scenario, it's usually best to skip rolling altogether and choose the outcome that would be the most fun and interesting for the players. If that's unclear, or a roll is really desired, choose a dice for the player to roll based on your best judgment of how skillful the character would be at the activity (based on the character'​s [[role|Roles]], [[background|Background]], personality,​ experience, equipment, etc). Rolls representing the bottom level of competence ​should be performed with a 1d4, while the absolute highest levels of mastery would be represented with 1d20 or 3d6.
  
 Ties for such opposed rolls should be in favor of the player in most cases. If you wish for the player to lose ties, declare this before the roll is made. This generally should only be done when the player is performing an activity in response to some NPC activity, such as trying to tell if an NPC is lying. Ties for such opposed rolls should be in favor of the player in most cases. If you wish for the player to lose ties, declare this before the roll is made. This generally should only be done when the player is performing an activity in response to some NPC activity, such as trying to tell if an NPC is lying.
  
-Use the table below for resolving individual ​Charisma, Acrobatics, and Search ​rolls outside scenarios. You may also use this table when a player wants to use Acrobatics to improvise terrain traversal within combat when the scenario doesn'​t otherwise detail how to resolve it. Since these rolls don't naturally increase with player levels, the table doesn'​t include levels. Instead, entries are based on how difficult you perceive the activity to be. Keep in mind that the difficulty judgment should be relative to the PC's level; what is difficult for a level 1 PC might be easy for a level 4 PC.+Use the table below for resolving individual ​Skill Dice or improvised ​rolls outside scenarios. You may also use this table when a player wants to use Acrobatics to improvise terrain traversal within combat when the scenario doesn'​t otherwise detail how to resolve it. Since these rolls don't naturally increase with player levels, the table doesn'​t include levels. Instead, entries are based on how difficult you perceive the activity to be. Keep in mind that the difficulty judgment should be relative to the PC's level; what is difficult for a level 1 PC might be easy for a level 4 PC.
  
 ^ Difficulty ​ ^ Dice  ^ ^ Difficulty ​ ^ Dice  ^
dm_s_guide_chapter_2.txt · Last modified: 2019/05/01 11:05 by triptycho