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Message no. 1
From: danturek@*******.com (Dan Turek)
Subject: Simultaneously good and bad
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2003 14:25:49 -0400
Lars admitted:

>I have once tried to break the windscreen with my face (I accidentally
>drowe full speed on my bike into a parked car ...
>the car was parked illegally, and I was actually awarded finansial
>compensation, from the car owner, for the week where I couldn't work).

So was that an "oops" with a a really great legal roll later?

But it got me thinking, how do you have both good and bad things happen? In
old C'thulu if you impaled something you would do extra damage, but your
weapon could get stuck or broken. I can't think of any other rule in any
system where both good and bad things happen.

Anyone have one?


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Message no. 2
From: ValeuJ@*************.navy.mil (Valeu John EMFA)
Subject: Simultaneously good and bad
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 07:22:45 -0800
> >I have once tried to break the windscreen with my face (I accidentally
> >drowe full speed on my bike into a parked car ...
> >the car was parked illegally, and I was actually awarded finansial
> >compensation, from the car owner, for the week where I couldn't work).
>
> So was that an "oops" with a a really great legal roll later?
>
> But it got me thinking, how do you have both good and bad things happen?
> In
> old C'thulu if you impaled something you would do extra damage, but your
> weapon could get stuck or broken. I can't think of any other rule in any
> system where both good and bad things happen.
>
> Anyone have one?
>
[Valeu John EMFA]
How about the Magic system? Allows you to cast higher force spells
at a higher drain level...
Message no. 3
From: danturek@*******.com (Dan Turek)
Subject: Simultaneously good and bad
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 13:44:25 -0400
>>But it got me thinking, how do you have both good and bad things happen?

>[Valeu John EMFA] How about the Magic system? Allows you to cast higher
>force spells
at a higher drain level...

Well, unless you're playing D&D spells usually have a negative effect for
casters.

But how could a Watcher spirit go free? Only if the caster had 9 boxes of
Stun and failed drain after summoning, or if the GM says so if the player
rolls an oops.

Someone mentioned (probably a long time ago) using a different system for an
oops. Has anyone ever tried that if a player rolls more 1's than anything
else (so half or more are 1's) something sort-of bad happens, but not nearly
as bad as an oops?


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Message no. 4
From: sandman220@****.com (joshua T sanders)
Subject: Simultaneously good and bad
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 15:28:06 -0400
On Wed, 16 Apr 2003 13:44:25 -0400 "Dan Turek" <danturek@*******.com>
writes:
> >>But it got me thinking, how do you have both good and bad things
> happen?
>
> Someone mentioned (probably a long time ago) using a different
> system for an
> oops. Has anyone ever tried that if a player rolls more 1's than
> anything
> else (so half or more are 1's) something sort-of bad happens, but
> not nearly
> as bad as an oops?


I use the half or more 1's as a straight oops (botch) and treat it the
same way I assume most groups treat all ones. Exception is made
for rolls under four dice, which Must still come up all 1's.
(otherwise, botching is too high a probability for average trained
NPC's)

I find that it makes my group a little more cautious, and also generally
improves the overall competition of lower end characters - a 3-dice
fellow
is approximately 1/186 chance of botching, while a 4-dice, while more
likely
to succeed, is also more likely to fail (a little better than 1/36) also
encourages characters to play a little less conservative with their
combat
pool (my players don't use it very often otherwise, holding it back in
case
I do something unexpected. This encourages them to use it proactively
rather than reactively - making combat end quicker typically.)

overall I'm satisfied with the results. Hope this Helps.
--
Joshua
Sanders
sandman220@****.com MHael@*********.mine.nu
jts7@****.edu
============================================================="he's a bloodsucking
lawyer."
"you mean figuratively?"
"no."
"oh..."

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Message no. 5
From: silvercat@***********.org (Jonathan Hurley)
Subject: Simultaneously good and bad
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 17:57:52 -0400
-----Original Message-----
From: shadowrn-bounces@*****.dumpshock.com
[mailto:shadowrn-bounces@*****.dumpshock.com] On Behalf Of Dan Turek
Sent: 2003-April-16 13:44
To: shadowrn@*****.dumpshock.com
Subject: Re: Simultaneously good and bad

>>But it got me thinking, how do you have both good and bad things
happen?

>[Valeu John EMFA] How about the Magic system? Allows you to cast
higher
>force spells
at a higher drain level...

Well, unless you're playing D&D spells usually have a negative effect
for
casters.

But how could a Watcher spirit go free? Only if the caster had 9 boxes
of
Stun and failed drain after summoning, or if the GM says so if the
player
rolls an oops.

Someone mentioned (probably a long time ago) using a different system
for an
oops. Has anyone ever tried that if a player rolls more 1's than
anything
else (so half or more are 1's) something sort-of bad happens, but not
nearly
as bad as an oops?

{Reply Separator - Ian Argent}

Well, I use a 'partial oops' rule of thumb - if the number of 1s rolled
exceeds the base skill, a Bad Thing happens (though the result of the
test stands. Usually, for firearms, this means the gun jams (subject to
adhoc reliability stuff), and drain usually increases for spells

"I suppose this is what I get for letting rednecks play with
anti-matter; they just don't know when to say 'Okay, that's 'nough!'
Instead, it's always 'Hey' y'all! Watch this!'"
When the Devil Dances, John Ringo

Ian Argent
silvercat@***********.org

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