One of my players asked if he could burn luck to win an important combat encounter. He rolled his initiative first before the opposing side and wanted to know the opposition's roll before burning so he'd know how much luck to burn. I said he'd have to gamble on the amount of luck to burn because he needed to decide before or after his roll. He decided not to burn.
And on that note, do you tell a player how much luck they need to burn if they miss a DC roll?
Burn luck to win initiative? Tell player how much to burn?
Moderators: DJ LaBoss, finarvyn, michaelcurtis, Harley Stroh
- Ravenheart87
- Tight-Lipped Warlock
- Posts: 903
- Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 3:34 pm
- Location: Győr, Hungary
- Contact:
Re: Burn luck to win initiative? Tell player how much to bur
I would handle it that way too.kleefaj wrote:One of my players asked if he could burn luck to win an important combat encounter. He rolled his initiative first before the opposing side and wanted to know the opposition's roll before burning so he'd know how much luck to burn. I said he'd have to gamble on the amount of luck to burn because he needed to decide before or after his roll. He decided not to burn.
"You need a little bit more to succeed."kleefaj wrote:And on that note, do you tell a player how much luck they need to burn if they miss a DC roll?
"Will 2 points be enough?"
"Yes."
"Okay, I burn 2."
Vorpal Mace: a humble rpg blog with some DCC-related stuff.
- GnomeBoy
- Tyrant Master (Administrator)
- Posts: 4128
- Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:46 pm
- FLGS: Bizarro World
- Location: Left Coast, USA
- Contact:
Re: Burn luck to win initiative? Tell player how much to bur
Do you roll in the open, so that even if you don't tell them what they need, they can make a guess-timate?
I usually just say what they'd need to burn; haven't run into any negative issues with that.
I usually just say what they'd need to burn; haven't run into any negative issues with that.
...
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
Re: Burn luck to win initiative? Tell player how much to bur
I'm getting better at rolling in the open. I still forget sometimes. But I've said, "If you burn two Luck you'll make it."GnomeBoy wrote:Do you roll in the open, so that even if you don't tell them what they need, they can make a guess-timate?
I usually just say what they'd need to burn; haven't run into any negative issues with that.
- GnomeBoy
- Tyrant Master (Administrator)
- Posts: 4128
- Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:46 pm
- FLGS: Bizarro World
- Location: Left Coast, USA
- Contact:
Re: Burn luck to win initiative? Tell player how much to bur
I feel like not knowing how much Luck to burn is ...unlucky.
"I'll burn 7! Just to be sure" ...yeah, but really you only needed to burn 2...
It's not the character burning the Luck. The fluxuations in Luck are swirling eddies in the cosmic effluvia, not anything that's under the character's control. The character may be desperate to hit or to make a jump, and there's plenty for players to guess about and not know for certain -- once they know what they want to do, and they fall short on the die, why not just let them know how to make it up? Better that, than that they never burn any Luck because they don't want to gamble it...
I want players to burn Luck, so it'll bite them when they need it and have spent it! But seriously, if they spend a little here and a little there, and it gets to where they are less and less comfortable with spending it for fear of really needing it and having none to spare, I think that makes for a nicely arced feeling of impending doom/"things are getting tougher".
"I'll burn 7! Just to be sure" ...yeah, but really you only needed to burn 2...
It's not the character burning the Luck. The fluxuations in Luck are swirling eddies in the cosmic effluvia, not anything that's under the character's control. The character may be desperate to hit or to make a jump, and there's plenty for players to guess about and not know for certain -- once they know what they want to do, and they fall short on the die, why not just let them know how to make it up? Better that, than that they never burn any Luck because they don't want to gamble it...
I want players to burn Luck, so it'll bite them when they need it and have spent it! But seriously, if they spend a little here and a little there, and it gets to where they are less and less comfortable with spending it for fear of really needing it and having none to spare, I think that makes for a nicely arced feeling of impending doom/"things are getting tougher".
...
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
Re: Burn luck to win initiative? Tell player how much to burn?
I always tell the players the target number. First, I figure they’re either lucky or they’re not. Second, I subscribe to the belief that games are more interesting when you give the players information, and they’re less likely to get salty about me being adversarial.
- Raven_Crowking
- Cold-Hearted Immortal
- Posts: 3159
- Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2012 9:41 am
- FLGS: The Sword & Board
- Contact:
Re: Burn luck to win initiative? Tell player how much to burn?
i let the players know how much Luck they have to burn.
SoBH pbp:
Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
Re: Burn luck to win initiative? Tell player how much to burn?
I don't let them know the target number. Eventually they figure it out, or spend enough to be "safe," which suits me fine.
- catseye yellow
- Cold-Blooded Diabolist
- Posts: 448
- Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 5:23 am
Re: Burn luck to win initiative? Tell player how much to burn?
i am usually pretty much open about numbers need. as much as for my sake as for theirs. keeps me honest.