Quote from: Dan Vincze on October 05, 2020, 12:28:07 PM
FWIW, in the books, calling and mounting a worm was a requirement of being a grown man among the Fremen, and they took the risk casually enough to measure long distances in "thumpers." I.E. how many worms you had to call to get to your destination, from the device used to call them.

So, if we're being accurate to the books (first 3), I'd think that unskilled characters should have no chance of success and qualified sandriders should just ride the thing without rolling. How you want to handle semi-skilled characters or prodigiously talented off-worlders depends on what sort of genre feel and risk calculus you're looking to promote.

Of course, in a less metal setting it might be a much rarer feat.

Agree with this. If a competent adult Fremen is getting from one sietch to the next, it just happens. But if it's a dramatic situation, some sort of throw is in order. Harkonnen gunships attack - throw to control worm (maybe 5+ on a d6, +1 per level of Fremen, -1 per gunship, or something). Need a worm NOW - make a saving throw.

Being a fan of d100 systems, this reminds me of the old fallacy that a surgeon who is Medic-75% (usually interpreted as solid professional competence level) is still botching a quarter of his operations. Except the GM probably shouldn't be enforcing rolls for routine skill use.

Yeah; I think I might make the ability to ride sans roll attached to your background (so if you're Fremen, it's routine to you and a perk of being born on Arrakis). With offplanet characters, they gotta do the ritual... But probably only once, then after its routine. I think I may simply track "worm tameness" or some such, and call for a steering roll of some variety if it gets exhausted or enraged.