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Player-activated vs GM-activated disadvantages.

Started by Warthur, July 05, 2007, 06:40:14 AM

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alexandro

#75
July 26, 2007, 01:30:00 PM
QuoteWhat's at issue is that these disadvantages are a back-door way to give Players the power to infringe on two GM rights, namely the assignment of experience points, and the assignment of penalizing events in the environment.
QuoteThe activation of a disadvantage is as much a right for a GM as it would be for the GM to impose penalties to a PC for being drunk, or for having been hypnotised/drugged/Charm Personed.
As any GM worth his salt will tell you, this "right" only extends as far as the players allow for it.
Any GM who overdoes the charming/mugging/drugging/hypnotizing of the player characters (overdo depends- as always- on what the players like) quickly finds himself without a group or in a not-so-friendly game of "knee meets groin"(KmG(TM)). ;)

But for one idea that isn't considered here: how about disadvantages that are neither player-, nor GM-activated?
Why do they call them "Random encounter tables" when there's nothing random about them? It's just the same stupid monsters over and over. You want random? Fine, make it really random. A hampstersaurus. A mucus salesman. A toenail golem. A troupe of fornicating clowns. David Hasselhoff. If your players don't start crying the moment you pick up the percent die, you're just babying them.

LeSquide

#76
July 29, 2007, 03:57:25 PM
I think this is what most disadvantages are balanced against; something like 'weak' or 'one leg' that has an obvious mechanical effect that's just another number of the sheet. They're simple, objective, and most importantly numerary, so  if a player wants to get past his 'weak' disadvantage, he has to figure out a mechanical way to get his strength up. They're also easier to balance XP/bonus point/whatnot to because of this. Most of the time, barring fuzzy rule writing, they don't need to be considered, except in so far as "is this rule written well or not?"
 

Tyberious Funk

#77
July 29, 2007, 10:48:45 PM
Quote from: AlnagInteresting idea crossed my mind. What if the Dis/Advanteges of your character are invoked by other players. It might seem futile as well, despite the players decides everything. It must be you partialy decides on you character D/A, otherwise there is a risk of futility anyway, right?

In Fate 3.0, you can :)
 
It's called "Tagging".  As well as characters, items and even environments can have Aspects.  You can call upon those Aspects by tagging them.  For example, a fight breaks out in a bar, the GM immediately decides the bar is Crowded and Smokey.  You might tag the Aspect Crowded during the course of the barfight to help escape into the crowd.
 
If you tag an Aspect belonging to an antagonist, then the point you spent gets given to them!  So you can try and capitalise on their disadvantages, but you keep adding to their pool of Fate points as you do so.  And of course, your enemies can do the same to YOU.
 

Tyberious Funk

#78
July 29, 2007, 10:58:38 PM
Quote from: RPGPunditJesus fuck. Well, again, you demonstrate that you and I are actually playing two completely different hobbies.

I thought his answer was more than reasonable.  Or do you think the GM should be dictating how someone plays their character?  Believe me, I'm not into the whole Forgie crap about player empowerment and GM disempowerment.  But the day a GM forces me to play my character their way, is the day I quit a campaign.  
 
FWIW, this is one of the reasons why I don't really like systems with advantages and disadvantages.  If I want an honest character, then I'll write a background to suit and then I'll try and play the character that way during the game.  I don't need some formal rule mechanic to support my roleplaying choices.
 
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