Re: [DL] Fudging

[jmb@dwarven.co.uk (John Billings)]

On Thu, Mar 13, 2003 at 03:56:58PM -0700, Greg Vose wrote:
> Go away if you are one of John's players...
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> John--
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> I don't know what your level of skill is at running an RPG and I don't
<snip>
> welcome to throw out anything you want to.

Not huge, sadly - but we all have to start somewhere :)  I'm lucky i have
an inexperienced posse, as this means that i at least know more than them
about the system...

> First, I would sit down with the individual in question, outside of game
> time, and ask questions.  "Are you happy with this situation? Do you want
> to continue playing this character?  What is it that you are most pleased
> with and what are you least pleased with? What can I do to help?"

That seems like a good way foward - it's certainally worth a try..

>
<snip more good advice>
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> Second, you will have to institute these changes without upsetting your
> apple cart. This should involve roleplaying rather than blazing guns (well
> rather than solely blazing guns).  Whatever abilities, relic, etc that you
> arrange for her to receive should come about in the course of play.  The
> others shouldn't know (and I believe you mentioned that they know nothing
> of this at the moment).

This is true - they know that something is up, but they seem to think it's 
going to be a re-rolling of the character from scratch.

> Ways you can pump up her effectiveness are as follows:
>
> 1) Harrow her.  Make absolutely certain she is okay with playing a Harrowed
<Snip>
> really entails...well that would be just evil.

Yes - i'm going off the harrowed idea more and more - it would be a nightmare
with a preist in the posse to have someone wandering about undead.
 
> 2) Relic as has been discussed. I like the idea of a whip of some sort
<snip>
> wild ability based on that.

Special whip sounds good - i'll try to come up with a decent backstory for it
and a set of abilities.  I wonder who a previous owner could be.. Is it worth
allowing chips to be spent to give specific effects on a relic - and is it a
better plan to allow the character to find out the effects of the relic by
experience or to tell them right off the bat what they can do?

> Other possibilities exist as well.  Special
> six-shooters have been done to death but they are quick and easy.  A gold
> pocketwatch that adds 2 dice to her quickdraw rolls only on the first roll
> of a battle would be another possibility, you'll have to determine what
> works for her here. 

She's only got skill in rifle, right now - and her rifle is fine - her whip,
however, is knackerd, having been broken in the last scuffle.. she'd totally
want another one..

> Ideally a relic should complement and reinforce
> whatever she is already very good at or cover a deficiency that has cropped
> up far too many times.  It sounds like everyone else acts well before she
> does.  Perhaps something that helps with that so she can at least do
> something before the rest have all killed off the nasty?  What about a
> six-gun that raises her top action card by two steps? That means she can
> never go slower than 4 for her first action and if she drew an ace or king
> she could go faster than anything except a red joker.  This only applies to
> the first action of each quickness roll and shouldn't be too overpowering.

The action thing would be a good thing to have.  A single extra dice on the
first quickness roll of an encounter seems like a fair manouver..
 
> 3) Special abilities have been discussed.  You have to be careful here that
> you aren't setting a precedent for later on that steps on the toes of some
> other type of character.  If the ability is truly unique I think she'd be a
> lot happier with it, especially if it is within her concept.

I'll discuss this with her, but i still prefer the idea of a relic.
 
> I suppose the main thing I am suggesting here is to work with her.  You
> don't need to give her everything about what is going on but you need to
> find something she'll be happy with.

Agreed - by far the most important thing.



cheers for all your help..

John