I signed up for this game for the creepy orc butts and was not disappointed.
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Welcome to My (Flat) World
- Thread starter Legendary Sidekick
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- #782
That's the problem with wearing skulls as pants. Skulls make lousy pants.
Even with a belt.
Even with a belt.
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- #783
@Devor, technically "Provoke" doesn't work as an attack unless characters have a connection, says the Fate PDF. I thought the orc who got his ass kicked might qualify to the extent he'd be easily frazzled by Furtano's words, so I rolled Will for him. But he beat a -2, so I won't bother editing that into my post.
Even though Provoke didn't cause mental stress, the orc doesn't look nearly as confident as Furtano does.
Even though Provoke didn't cause mental stress, the orc doesn't look nearly as confident as Furtano does.
It was just a gag, I didn't care about the actual mental attack. He rolled a -2, and his lines got correspondingly ridiculous.
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- #785
Yeah, I kind of figured you might've done that strictly for RP. I would encourage the occasional trash-talking, and occasionally, I'll roll will to see if you score a mental attack.
If you out-roll the opponent by 3+ points, you might force him to take a consequence, the way this system works. As I said earlier, I don't want enemies getting name-called to death, but I don't have a problem with the occasional grunt getting dropped one hit sooner because he was flustered.
If you out-roll the opponent by 3+ points, you might force him to take a consequence, the way this system works. As I said earlier, I don't want enemies getting name-called to death, but I don't have a problem with the occasional grunt getting dropped one hit sooner because he was flustered.
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- #786
@Devor, to add to your bragging rights: your worst combat roll so far, which was an average (all 0's!) roll for an average (+1) skill, was the first kill of the game.
If you're wondering, I am using the stress-consequence system for the orcs, but the severe consequence for a grunt is "death."
The "slots" he used up inside the cave were the 1-point stress box and the moderate consequence. For those who still don't get the way you keep track of health in this game, I totally understand. It took me a while to get it. The good news is that as long as I get it, I can run the game.
If anyone's confused, don't sweat it. I'll try to make sense of damage/health as soon as a player gets hit. With 4-6 orcs (depending who else dies) about to rush out of the cave, I imagine someone we care about is going to get hurt. We'll see…
If you're wondering, I am using the stress-consequence system for the orcs, but the severe consequence for a grunt is "death."
The "slots" he used up inside the cave were the 1-point stress box and the moderate consequence. For those who still don't get the way you keep track of health in this game, I totally understand. It took me a while to get it. The good news is that as long as I get it, I can run the game.
If anyone's confused, don't sweat it. I'll try to make sense of damage/health as soon as a player gets hit. With 4-6 orcs (depending who else dies) about to rush out of the cave, I imagine someone we care about is going to get hurt. We'll see…
Oh-oh-oh yeah, weep before the awesomeness of button-clicking randomness . . . . . schweeeet.
/obnoxiousness
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- #788
The Making of Flat Earth -- *N0W* with Fate!
Here's "PhotoShop Lite," the program that came with my drawing tablet. It crashes for stupid reasons, but when it's NOT crashing, it's an effective play-by-post tool.
^Click to embiggen.
As you can see, there are many layers, which help me move all the characters like I'm playing a game of human chess overtaken by pixies and orcs. The Yorcs, Rorcs and Orcs are the different kinds of orcs. Orange ones are normal because Orc beings with O and I hate pronouncing Oorc even in my head. The numbers next to each type tell you how many stress/consequence slots they have. Well… they tell ME. You're not supposed to know enemy health except that when I spray blood all over the enemy, he has less of it.
The Yorc is the tough guy. Maybe you guessed that because there's only one yellow guy. Anyway, he has more stress slots. We'll see what good that does him when you guys all gang up on him now that I went and gave away his health.
The layers that say things like Candlehead and ARROW'd!! are for special effects. (And Dorc is "dead orc" so I don't accidentally move him.) I'm still waiting on Dila's roll to see if I need a third ARROW'd!! layer or not. I figured the guy Ariel shot should be the one to rush the archers. If they were better organized they'd have all rushed you, but that orange guy staring at a wall is making sure there isn't another player about to join the game and sneak up from the background while waiting for me to roll his attack. So maybe somebody will get hurt! But the red guy's staying right where I have him now. When I post the GM post, you'll know why the red guy's doing chin-ups. Or I can tell you now: it's because I didn't draw a good climbing position for him so now he has to climb like an idiot.
Speaking of not drawing good positions, Dila gets first dibs on an art update. Dark colors in marker don't scan well. She's too young to have gray hair… and she's also old enough for her crossbow to actually be drawn. I can't blame markers on that one.
Here's "PhotoShop Lite," the program that came with my drawing tablet. It crashes for stupid reasons, but when it's NOT crashing, it's an effective play-by-post tool.
^Click to embiggen.
As you can see, there are many layers, which help me move all the characters like I'm playing a game of human chess overtaken by pixies and orcs. The Yorcs, Rorcs and Orcs are the different kinds of orcs. Orange ones are normal because Orc beings with O and I hate pronouncing Oorc even in my head. The numbers next to each type tell you how many stress/consequence slots they have. Well… they tell ME. You're not supposed to know enemy health except that when I spray blood all over the enemy, he has less of it.
The Yorc is the tough guy. Maybe you guessed that because there's only one yellow guy. Anyway, he has more stress slots. We'll see what good that does him when you guys all gang up on him now that I went and gave away his health.
The layers that say things like Candlehead and ARROW'd!! are for special effects. (And Dorc is "dead orc" so I don't accidentally move him.) I'm still waiting on Dila's roll to see if I need a third ARROW'd!! layer or not. I figured the guy Ariel shot should be the one to rush the archers. If they were better organized they'd have all rushed you, but that orange guy staring at a wall is making sure there isn't another player about to join the game and sneak up from the background while waiting for me to roll his attack. So maybe somebody will get hurt! But the red guy's staying right where I have him now. When I post the GM post, you'll know why the red guy's doing chin-ups. Or I can tell you now: it's because I didn't draw a good climbing position for him so now he has to climb like an idiot.
Speaking of not drawing good positions, Dila gets first dibs on an art update. Dark colors in marker don't scan well. She's too young to have gray hair… and she's also old enough for her crossbow to actually be drawn. I can't blame markers on that one.
Aspasia
Mystagogue
Oops sorry for getting a bit behind! I think we can safely say Dila's shot hits an orc ... 6!
When I first looked at Fate, I thought the stress and consequence system was so cool . . . until I looked at all the details and found it to be needlessly confusing. If I understand it right, each stress box represents kind of a bundle of hit points, and you have to mark them off one bundle at a time.
So if you've got stress boxes |1|, |2| and |3|, you actually have 6 hit points, 1+2+3. But it's only enough to survive 3 hits, one for each box, before you take a consequence. If you don't have a box big enough to absorb a hit, you take a consequence to absorb the difference, which is pretty much the same kind of hit point bundle but with a roleplaying element.
Assuming I understood that right, I'm not sure why they did it that way. I think the idea is to make you take a consequence before you actually use up all your hit points. It's not the way I would do it, but I guess it works well enough.
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- #791
You can mark one stress box per turn and multiple consequences. It works out so that a very hard hit can drop you, or if you take several tiny hits you can fall. I mean that, if the #6 consequence box is the only one unchecked, even 1 point will force you to mark it.
Yeah… I think HP is easier to grasp. But if you guys are fine with the system, I can make sense of it enough to run the game.
The boosts are a bit odd. If no one objects, I'd rather automate boosts. The way Fate's designed is that you lower your roll one point if you succeed with style to get the boost. That involves dialogue that can't really happen in play-by-post, and it's just a numbers game where I'm the only one who knows all the numbers.
What I'd rather do is keep that, but in an automated way that always benefits the player. If taking a point from your roll won't make your attack less damaging, you get the boost. It works out so ~50% of your success with style rolls will result in a boost, but the enemy never takes less damage as a result. That, and I'll always tell you you have the boost so you don't need to memorize so many rules.
That's what I'm doing now—and I'm not saying "boost." I'm saying, "Dila: add +2 to your roll." (Dila earned a boost.)
Does that work for you guys? I feel like the system is needlessly complicated, but there's enough I like (such as the skill system), that I'm up for working with it if players are.
Yeah… I think HP is easier to grasp. But if you guys are fine with the system, I can make sense of it enough to run the game.
The boosts are a bit odd. If no one objects, I'd rather automate boosts. The way Fate's designed is that you lower your roll one point if you succeed with style to get the boost. That involves dialogue that can't really happen in play-by-post, and it's just a numbers game where I'm the only one who knows all the numbers.
What I'd rather do is keep that, but in an automated way that always benefits the player. If taking a point from your roll won't make your attack less damaging, you get the boost. It works out so ~50% of your success with style rolls will result in a boost, but the enemy never takes less damage as a result. That, and I'll always tell you you have the boost so you don't need to memorize so many rules.
That's what I'm doing now—and I'm not saying "boost." I'm saying, "Dila: add +2 to your roll." (Dila earned a boost.)
Does that work for you guys? I feel like the system is needlessly complicated, but there's enough I like (such as the skill system), that I'm up for working with it if players are.
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- #792
Don't be sorry! You shot him right in the nose!Oops sorry for getting a bit behind! I think we can safely say Dila's shot hits an orc ... 6!
The death spot.
+5 rep points to anyone who knows what movie says that an arrow in the nose is "the death spot."
No idea, but in an episode of Deadliest Warrior they mention it, and a Russian KGB guy says they were trained to target the nose.
Fate is different, it breaks ground, but typical of such things it does need refinement.
I'm too much of a tinker, though. If it were me I would end up rewriting half the rules. But I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't think it was usable as it is. I'm more than cool with whatever changes.
As for the boost thing in particular, Dila's shot killed the orc with room to spare, so she gets a bonus to her next roll. I guess that's fine, but we can't keep pushing all this mental work on you, Legendary. Why not drop the "lower your score" thing and just make it "if your skill succeeds by 3, your next roll gets +1" automatically instead of the confusing option of +2? That seems easy enough.
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- #795
I agree with removing "lower your score" from the equation. We'll still give Dila +2 for this round of course!
The whole point of me using an existing system is to stop myself from rewriting rules. So much for that! Well… best this gets solved in the play-test stage.
I'll just give you the +5 for that guess since I doubt anyone knows the answer I'm looking for, even with a hint. The movie I was thinking is Best in Show. One of those odd, partially-improvised Christopher Guest films, though not the cult classic that is This Is Spinal Tap.
EDIT - Yes, Devor, you understood correctly. Furtano is physically stressed. The number 2 will be in red next time you see the display.
The whole point of me using an existing system is to stop myself from rewriting rules. So much for that! Well… best this gets solved in the play-test stage.
I'll just give you the +5 for that guess since I doubt anyone knows the answer I'm looking for, even with a hint. The movie I was thinking is Best in Show. One of those odd, partially-improvised Christopher Guest films, though not the cult classic that is This Is Spinal Tap.
EDIT - Yes, Devor, you understood correctly. Furtano is physically stressed. The number 2 will be in red next time you see the display.
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- #796
@Noma,
To answer your question about powering Fenella's sword (or ANY weapon)...
That's somewhere in a post on a sticky thread called "A Balancing Act of Stunts and Magic," which defines the five types of spells you can cast freely. It also defines what "defend" spells like "bubble" are meant to do, which is to add the the defense roll.
(That reminds me: the bubble deflected the attack vs. Furtano. That was his first defense roll. @Devor, if you see a stress box marked in red, that means I forgot to edit my PhotoShop file. Furtano took no damage from his failed dodge thanks to Mariya's magic!)
The only thing I'll ask of magic users is to stick to one element or other theme. (Vincent can keep doing the telekinesis/pyrokinesis thing.) I don't have a problem with magic users learning to use other elements in game, though I would see that as strictly RP. One element has no advantage over another just like no weapon has no advantage over another... only the visual changes. At least the one in your head, though on occasion I might draw the spell at least for fun.
(I should've drawn the bubble so I'd remember it was there.)
To answer your question about powering Fenella's sword (or ANY weapon)...
That's somewhere in a post on a sticky thread called "A Balancing Act of Stunts and Magic," which defines the five types of spells you can cast freely. It also defines what "defend" spells like "bubble" are meant to do, which is to add the the defense roll.
(That reminds me: the bubble deflected the attack vs. Furtano. That was his first defense roll. @Devor, if you see a stress box marked in red, that means I forgot to edit my PhotoShop file. Furtano took no damage from his failed dodge thanks to Mariya's magic!)
The only thing I'll ask of magic users is to stick to one element or other theme. (Vincent can keep doing the telekinesis/pyrokinesis thing.) I don't have a problem with magic users learning to use other elements in game, though I would see that as strictly RP. One element has no advantage over another just like no weapon has no advantage over another... only the visual changes. At least the one in your head, though on occasion I might draw the spell at least for fun.
(I should've drawn the bubble so I'd remember it was there.)
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- #797
@Ireth, you can have the stunt effective now. You only need to "buy" a stunt if you need to give up a refresh point (meaning you take more than 3 stunts).
If the orc rolls a negative number, you still hit him and if he rolls a 0, you still get a boost. You're simply guaranteed that you won't shoot a friendly target if he dodges. If there are no friendlies nearby, I'll still allow for the possibility of hitting another enemy! The stunt means you (automatically) hold a bad shot if a friendly target is close by.
By the way, as I look into this system, I'm starting to understand how magic needs to work. For the defense spells (like bubble) and the weapon-power-up spells (like lightning sword), that counts as teamwork/creating advantage, so it'll have to be +2 to your next attack/defense roll. (If you succeed with style, you get a Fate point, which could be used to make the spell +4.)
On the upside, you can create spells that add +2 to any kind of roll. You could even have one that adds speed (+2 to next athletics/drive/flight roll) or sneakiness (stealth/burglary/deceive) or one that makes you more aware of your surroundings (notice/investigate/empathy).
Also, I goofed with Lily! I totally forgot what I was doing with the re-roll when I re-rolled (it says Athletics in the log, but that's not only DUMB on my part but illegal—the re-roll needs to be the same type of action). I almost goofed again by having her spend a Fate point when adding +2 to fight. In fact, the whole point of grappling (Create Advantage) is to invoke your aspect (let's just say add +2 to the roll) without having to spend a Fate point! Also, I think you can only spend 1 point per turn… I THINK.
This system does take getting used to, but I kinda like it, so I'm trying to avoid home-brewing aside from adding magic and flight as skills. I miss my Zelda hearts, but I won't mess with the health system because of that.
If the orc rolls a negative number, you still hit him and if he rolls a 0, you still get a boost. You're simply guaranteed that you won't shoot a friendly target if he dodges. If there are no friendlies nearby, I'll still allow for the possibility of hitting another enemy! The stunt means you (automatically) hold a bad shot if a friendly target is close by.
By the way, as I look into this system, I'm starting to understand how magic needs to work. For the defense spells (like bubble) and the weapon-power-up spells (like lightning sword), that counts as teamwork/creating advantage, so it'll have to be +2 to your next attack/defense roll. (If you succeed with style, you get a Fate point, which could be used to make the spell +4.)
On the upside, you can create spells that add +2 to any kind of roll. You could even have one that adds speed (+2 to next athletics/drive/flight roll) or sneakiness (stealth/burglary/deceive) or one that makes you more aware of your surroundings (notice/investigate/empathy).
Also, I goofed with Lily! I totally forgot what I was doing with the re-roll when I re-rolled (it says Athletics in the log, but that's not only DUMB on my part but illegal—the re-roll needs to be the same type of action). I almost goofed again by having her spend a Fate point when adding +2 to fight. In fact, the whole point of grappling (Create Advantage) is to invoke your aspect (let's just say add +2 to the roll) without having to spend a Fate point! Also, I think you can only spend 1 point per turn… I THINK.
This system does take getting used to, but I kinda like it, so I'm trying to avoid home-brewing aside from adding magic and flight as skills. I miss my Zelda hearts, but I won't mess with the health system because of that.
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- #798
I think for advantage spells (like the one Mariya just cast), I should automatically double the bonus to +4 if the caster succeeds with style.
How does that sound?
This means if the spell is charged and you cast an advantage spell that affects an area, everyone affected gets +4 if you succeed with style (by exceeding your previous roll by 3+).
This also means +4 to Fenella's next attack, by the way. (If Ruby doesn't add +4, I will.)
By the way, Ruby, you have a boost (that yellow Fate point). You can add ANOTHER +2 to your next roll, or re-roll if you don't like the outcome.
How does that sound?
This means if the spell is charged and you cast an advantage spell that affects an area, everyone affected gets +4 if you succeed with style (by exceeding your previous roll by 3+).
This also means +4 to Fenella's next attack, by the way. (If Ruby doesn't add +4, I will.)
By the way, Ruby, you have a boost (that yellow Fate point). You can add ANOTHER +2 to your next roll, or re-roll if you don't like the outcome.
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- #799
I'm off to a wedding all weekend, so I thought I'd leave you with a GM post in case anyone wants to roll.
I posted before Aspasia, but no worries: Dila can attack twice.
Since she doesn't get the opportunity to stop Devor's guy from being thrown into a wall (by rolling a 6+), I'll make it up to Furtano when I get back (even if Dila's attack isn't enough to save him anyway).
Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
I posted before Aspasia, but no worries: Dila can attack twice.
Since she doesn't get the opportunity to stop Devor's guy from being thrown into a wall (by rolling a 6+), I'll make it up to Furtano when I get back (even if Dila's attack isn't enough to save him anyway).
Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
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- #800
Hi, Ruby. Fate has a funny rule about the create advantage rolls. They add 2 to a roll or subtract 2 from an obstacle, and that's it. I'm allowing an automatic +4 if you succeed with style because it makes sense to me that you'd use your boost to make the advantage greater.
You can't stack the same type of boost, meaning Fenella will get a +4 as it's the best allowed. Mariya will end up getting charged with lightning, which she can use in one of two ways... I'll get to that in the GM post.
Since advantage is limited to +2 by the rules, I wonder if teaming up on a target has the same limitation, meaning that ganging up on one target falls under the teamwork ruling (in which other players' successful rolls add 2 to one player's roll). If that's the case, I would take the best attack roll and have other attacks to the same target add 2 each.
I'm on an iPad now, so I can't consult the PDF now.
Also, @Devor, I was going to roll will vs. the tickle attempt, but realized that Furtano hadn't successfully defended the grapple. Had 'will' beaten the orc's roll of 5, I could have gone along with 'will' allowing Furtano to move a single limb and use burglary for a tickle attempt, forcing the Orc on the defensive. He'd still have his +4 from his advantage bonus, but still...
It would mean failure to beat a 3 cancels the throw, and even if he beat the 3, he may have used up his advantage boost, which would mean Furtano disturbed him in a way that weakened his attack.
I actually LIKE creative solutions such as yours, but I had to post and run, so I didn't have time to explain that. I did intend to explain later, as I don't want you to think the creative solution wasn't taken into consideration. The last thing I want to do is discourage creativity. (That said, Furtano was slammed against a wall. The physique roll is to make sure he can get up. As long as you don't roll a -4, he'll be conscious.)
You can't stack the same type of boost, meaning Fenella will get a +4 as it's the best allowed. Mariya will end up getting charged with lightning, which she can use in one of two ways... I'll get to that in the GM post.
Since advantage is limited to +2 by the rules, I wonder if teaming up on a target has the same limitation, meaning that ganging up on one target falls under the teamwork ruling (in which other players' successful rolls add 2 to one player's roll). If that's the case, I would take the best attack roll and have other attacks to the same target add 2 each.
I'm on an iPad now, so I can't consult the PDF now.
Also, @Devor, I was going to roll will vs. the tickle attempt, but realized that Furtano hadn't successfully defended the grapple. Had 'will' beaten the orc's roll of 5, I could have gone along with 'will' allowing Furtano to move a single limb and use burglary for a tickle attempt, forcing the Orc on the defensive. He'd still have his +4 from his advantage bonus, but still...
It would mean failure to beat a 3 cancels the throw, and even if he beat the 3, he may have used up his advantage boost, which would mean Furtano disturbed him in a way that weakened his attack.
I actually LIKE creative solutions such as yours, but I had to post and run, so I didn't have time to explain that. I did intend to explain later, as I don't want you to think the creative solution wasn't taken into consideration. The last thing I want to do is discourage creativity. (That said, Furtano was slammed against a wall. The physique roll is to make sure he can get up. As long as you don't roll a -4, he'll be conscious.)