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The Six-Letter System

Started by Kyle Aaron, June 28, 2008, 06:40:12 AM

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Kyle Aaron

#15
May 24, 2009, 09:14:37 PM
At the moment I'm thinking of changing the default skill level from -2 to 0, and then the skill progression from +1/2/3/4 to +3/4/5/6, and the standard difficulty from 8 to 10.
 
This is because in the heat of play, GMs tend to forget about defaults being negative rather than zero, and players for some reason tend to forget to bring it up. It doesn't change the dice probabilities at all.
 
However, your first skill level being +3 is a bit counterintuitive...
The Viking Hat GM
Conflict, the adventure game of modern warfare
Wastrel Wednesdays, livestream with Dungeondelver

Balbinus

#16
June 23, 2009, 05:36:16 AM
It's very counterintuitive, personally I think any GM who can't remember you're at a -2 for defaults needs to go back to the books, it's not an unusual concept.  Starting at +3 just feels wrong to me, plus this is based on the Traveller ruleset and there +3 was a serious level of skill.

My vote, not that this is a democracy, would be for -2 for defaults, 0 for familiarity, positive numbers for actual skills with +1 therefore being a starting skill level.

Default skill level being based on number of players is a dumbass SoD breaking idea in Gumshoe, and has no place here.  Count me in the wouldn't even try it camp for that one.

Kyle Aaron

#17
June 23, 2009, 05:42:58 AM
Well, Stormbringer described it more as a "tribute" to Trav rather than Trav itself, so I figure I can deviate a bit.

No bloody 0-level skills, that leads to too much clutter. The function is fulfilled by familiarities, and anyway 0-level skills only made sense when there were a dozen different skill resolution systems in there, with Vacc Suit +0 meaning this, but Engineer +0 meaning something else.

I've definitely put down the "default equal to number of players" rule, nobody liked that.

Starting at +3, yes it's counterintuitive, but that shows just how homogenised our rpg systems really are. Whether it stays depends on whoever games with me next :)
The Viking Hat GM
Conflict, the adventure game of modern warfare
Wastrel Wednesdays, livestream with Dungeondelver
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