| From: | Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Pool Use (was; Summer Time) |
| Date: | Thu, 21 May 1998 14:21:07 -0400 |
>I think I know why dice pools exist.
>
>An effect of dice pools (whether intentional or not) is that they add
>a level of unpredictability to combat and require the players to plan
>their moves. For example, on any given action pool dice could be
>spent on offense or saved for defense. I as the GM don't know which
>way the ball is going to bounce when it comes to PCs' pools. And the
>player has to weigh his decision on how to use his pools, forcing him
>to think his way through combat. IMHO dice pools make combat more
>interesting for all involved.
>
>Anyway, that's what dice pools represent to me: a level of
>unpredictability that requires planning when it comes to combat.
That's possibly the best explanation that I've heard. Instead of bothering
with offensive/defensive stances and target locations and all those
complexities that are sometimes added, a raw, abstract and simple mechanic
was instituted instead.
Works for me.
Erik J.
