[DL] Malfunction numbers

["Jeff Shoffner" <shoffner@esper.com>]

>I just read your comments on reliability - I think the main problem I have
with the system is that unlike almost everything else in the game its a
single roll rather than an open ended one - its really the Malfunctions I
don't like - 1 time in 10 its catastrophic!  1d10 with aces re-rolled makes
that 1 in 50 which is far more reasonable IMHO. Maybe I'll keep reliability
at 1d20, but malfunctions will be 1d10 with rerolls for certain.




Ah!  Well then, that's easy to fix too.  Continue to roll the 1d20 & as said
before, any reliability number over 20 gets to subtract the extra from the
roll (ie: a gizmo with R22 subtracts 2 points from that d20 roll meaning the
highest the roll can be is 18), or you could to the opposite & roll a d10, &
add the difference of 20-Rnumber for the result (ie: Gizmo with an R 14 adds
6 points to the d10 roll).  The first case is more realistic for the game
play, but if you want less catastrophic malfunctions, the latter works
(basically catastrophics only happen with R10 gizmos.)

Other options would be to make that latter idea a d12 roll with the R
penalty added (ie: R 12 gizmos now could blow up), add one point per number
reliability missed (ie: an R 18 rolls a 19, so the d20 has +1 added to the
total), or make that a d12 roll instead of d20, or whatever.  Play with the
mechanics until you find something you like.  1d10 with rerolls is certainly
an option.  The biggest thing is stay consistent with what you do.  Folks
playing with easy R rolls are going to be mighty upset if they suddenly have
things going BOOM! every time they use them.

Jeff S