ShawnDriscoll
Cosmic Mongoose
I'd like to hear from the experienced referees and players, that do understand how Boon/Bane works, what they think about it and how they are using such rolls in their games?
How are you using Boon/Bane rolls in your games?
- Thread starter ShawnDriscoll
- Start date
-Daniel-
Emperor Mongoose
Not sure if you would count me as an "experienced referees and players that do understand how Boon/Bane works" but here it goes anyway.
So far, I have used it very sparingly. It is something I use just to help improve or reduce the probability of a successful roll when I want to also control the effect. It is not something I have elected to make a common or constant in my game. I leave the DMs and Difficulty as the key adjustments for the roll.
As for the suggestion that has been brought up to allow multiple dice, I have not tried that yet. So far I have stuck to either a single Bane or Boon die for the roll.
Has it made a difference? Yes, it was nice to lower the probability of an attack but not punish a great roll, he still received the full effect earned by the great roll for example.
Do I think it is a must mechanic for the game? No. Do I think it fits into the game well? No. It still feels like a bolted on game mechanic added to the game rather than an integral element of the overall core game mechanic.
Would I use it going forward? Yes, I would. But like a super hot sauce, I would not use it all the time nor in large amounts. :mrgreen:
So far, I have used it very sparingly. It is something I use just to help improve or reduce the probability of a successful roll when I want to also control the effect. It is not something I have elected to make a common or constant in my game. I leave the DMs and Difficulty as the key adjustments for the roll.
As for the suggestion that has been brought up to allow multiple dice, I have not tried that yet. So far I have stuck to either a single Bane or Boon die for the roll.
Has it made a difference? Yes, it was nice to lower the probability of an attack but not punish a great roll, he still received the full effect earned by the great roll for example.
Do I think it is a must mechanic for the game? No. Do I think it fits into the game well? No. It still feels like a bolted on game mechanic added to the game rather than an integral element of the overall core game mechanic.
Would I use it going forward? Yes, I would. But like a super hot sauce, I would not use it all the time nor in large amounts. :mrgreen:
ShawnDriscoll
Cosmic Mongoose
And what do you think about the Boon/Bane rules?Kaelic said:
I think they're fine, but the rules prescribe them to be used without circumstantial modifiers to rolls which strikes me as a mistake. The statistical range they offer is sometimes too much, and sometimes not enough. I don't think the rule should be applied as written, and they should be used to modify things based on circumstances that can be more unpredictable than a simple modifier.
Example:
Repairing a computer while hanging upside down on a cliff: Flat Negative Modifier
Repairing a computer while hanging upside down on a cliff in a tornado: Flat Negative Modifier with a Bane
Example:
Repairing a computer while hanging upside down on a cliff: Flat Negative Modifier
Repairing a computer while hanging upside down on a cliff in a tornado: Flat Negative Modifier with a Bane
ShawnDriscoll
Cosmic Mongoose
Where does the flat negative modifier come from? A rule? Or is added by a player? What difficulty have you assigned to the task?Kaelic said:
ShawnDriscoll
Cosmic Mongoose
Ok. It makes sense. You're treating "Repairing a computer while hanging upside down on a cliff" as one chunk then, and adding a Bane to it for the tornado.Kaelic said:
amerginsrd
Mongoose
I am using it for almost all situations accept skill and characteristic DMs as well as the untrained DM (using it there would gut the Jack of All Trade skill which is a great piece of Traveller artifice). The only thing I am unsure of is using multiple bane or boon die at the same time since I am replacing so many DMs with them. One of my players has suggested that the upper limit of boon die be you skill level but I am still struggling with that.
ShawnDriscoll
Cosmic Mongoose
I'm finding that using upper levels of Boon/Bane only confirm to me that a roll isn't required.amerginsrd said:
Sigtrygg
Emperor Mongoose
I'm using the boon/bane rule to encourage actual role playing rather than hunt the DM.
I've also toyed with having more than one bane die.
I usually use only two target numbers for tasks, 8+ and 12+
What I'm doing at the moment is working out hindrances to get a sort of progression that looks like this:
8+ standard task
8+ one hindrance so 1 bane die
two hindrance, bump difficulty to 12+ but no bane die
12+ three hindrances so one bane die
It's amazing the improvement in roleplaying as players stay in character to find ways to mitigate hinderances or try to gain an advantage and hence a boon die.
I've also toyed with having more than one bane die.
I usually use only two target numbers for tasks, 8+ and 12+
What I'm doing at the moment is working out hindrances to get a sort of progression that looks like this:
8+ standard task
8+ one hindrance so 1 bane die
two hindrance, bump difficulty to 12+ but no bane die
12+ three hindrances so one bane die
It's amazing the improvement in roleplaying as players stay in character to find ways to mitigate hinderances or try to gain an advantage and hence a boon die.
Sigtrygg
Emperor Mongoose
I don't see how this is a total deviation from the rules as written. You are allowed to chose difficulty for tasks and you are allowed to apply boon/bane as situation warrants. I'm trying to rationalise when a situation requires a bane die or a raising of the task difficulty.
-Daniel-
Emperor Mongoose
By elimination of 5 out of 7 of the target difficulty numbers you have raised the failure probability for simple and easy tasks significantly for example. If it works for you, cool. I just understood your post to be a reworking of the system as written. The rules as written have the lower task targets because, as written, not all tasks start at 8+.Sigtrygg said:
Again, if this works at your table, wonderful. I am all about folks having fun first then rules second. So I did not mean any offence by my question.
ShawnDriscoll
Cosmic Mongoose
That's how I do it sometimes. Once I figure out how hard a task is, the skills, charmods, DMs and B/B seem to fall in place.Sigtrygg said:
GuernseyMan
Mongoose
To be honest I haven't really used Boon/Bane in the 4 or 5 sessions that I've run.
I generally go with eyeballed DMs.
I think the problem for us is the fact that there are two systems which seem to conflict.
If everything mod could be done with the Boon/Bane mechanic rather than any DMs at all that would be great. But we can't so we stick with DMs.
I understand the different probability curves that this gives (our group contains an accounts lecturer and two actuarial technicians which means we probably have a greater than average grasp of probability and statistics). The problem is that the different curves produced by the methods just don't seem important enough to warrant two different systems.
The main gripe is that there is just no way to give multiple boons/banes whereas I can add +2 DM for one reason and another +1 for another reason ...
I generally go with eyeballed DMs.
I think the problem for us is the fact that there are two systems which seem to conflict.
If everything mod could be done with the Boon/Bane mechanic rather than any DMs at all that would be great. But we can't so we stick with DMs.
I understand the different probability curves that this gives (our group contains an accounts lecturer and two actuarial technicians which means we probably have a greater than average grasp of probability and statistics). The problem is that the different curves produced by the methods just don't seem important enough to warrant two different systems.
The main gripe is that there is just no way to give multiple boons/banes whereas I can add +2 DM for one reason and another +1 for another reason ...
GuernseyMan
Mongoose
Yes I would add to your effect, if you succeed.
If something makes it easier to succeed than it should also make it easier to succeed well!
What I'm really after is a concrete answer that I can get my head around. Give me:
1. A skill check. Using any skill you like to perform any action.
2. A modifier/situation that must change the chance of success but leave the effect unchanged (boon/bane) should the check succeed.
3. A modifier/situation that must change the chance of success along with the effect (DM).
I'm not trying to be difficult with this I really can't see the difference. I am willing to be won over!
If something makes it easier to succeed than it should also make it easier to succeed well!
What I'm really after is a concrete answer that I can get my head around. Give me:
1. A skill check. Using any skill you like to perform any action.
2. A modifier/situation that must change the chance of success but leave the effect unchanged (boon/bane) should the check succeed.
3. A modifier/situation that must change the chance of success along with the effect (DM).
I'm not trying to be difficult with this I really can't see the difference. I am willing to be won over!
ShawnDriscoll
Cosmic Mongoose
One of the perks of being a Referee is you get to choose how skill checks are made. Especially if you understand the mechanics better than they were written for. You said your group are expert at accounting or some such (not sure if that applies to die rolls though).GuernseyMan said:
The pattern is seen when iterating roll types. Just keep your eye on the Effect, which is all a Referee is really concerned with for skill checks. Nothing else.GuernseyMan said:
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