House Rule: Don't Fluck Up

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robinmotion
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Joined: Sat Apr 19, 2014 2:46 pm

House Rule: Don't Fluck Up

Post by robinmotion »

There are times when I want Luck to play a role, but don't want a failure to be as likely as a standard "Roll Under" Luck check. Probably the simplest thing to do would just be to set a very low DC and have a "Core Mechanic" Luck check to roll over ... DC 1 or 2, for instance, so you only have to worry about it if you have a negative Luck modifier. And yet, I for some reason love that Luck is often backwards from all other rolls in the game, so ...

"Don't Fluck Up" Check

When my players attempt something that has very low chance of failure but very high consequence -- like, say, tying a rope to something VERY secure, above a long drop, with all the time in the world, or perhaps to see if they remembered to take that very important adventure McGuffin from the body of a fallen comrade, even though they didn't explicitly say it -- I ask them to make a "Don't Fluck Up" check.

This is a Luck check, like normal (where rolling low is good, rolling high is bad) but the only way to fail is to roll a modified 20 or above. The roll is modified by Luck per fumbles (good Luck = penalty, bad luck = bonus). So, always have the luckiest dude tie that rope. Or if you're feeling mean, have the lowest-Luck person who will be traveling on that rope make the check.
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catseye yellow
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Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 5:23 am

Re: House Rule: Don't Fluck Up

Post by catseye yellow »

i like it. i also love that luck works differently.
jblittlefield
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FLGS: Cape Fear Gaming

Re: House Rule: Don't Fluck Up

Post by jblittlefield »

Cool idea, but adds an extra level I don't need in my games.

I subscribe to the old school approach I have always used since I started this hobby in '77 ... either you did it or you didn't - now live with the consequences.

Using your examples, if one of my players wants to be sure that rope ain't gonna slip then he can explicitly state he's taking the extra time needed to ensure the rope has no worn spots, tie extra knots, and make sure it's not rubbing over anything that may cause it to fray. If he simply states that he's tying the rope off then that's exactly what he did. In the first case, no need to worry about the rope (unless something comes along and starts messing with it). In the second case, I may resort to a die roll or whatnot if the dramatic situation would be enhanced by doing so.

For the MacGuffin example, I may ... if I'm in a good mood, that is ... make a secret Luck roll - but in 99.9% of cases, I probably won't.
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