Rules Questions

DVUS · Aug 24 '11, 3:42am

If we have a question about the rules, or wanna discuss how something works, this is the place.

DVUS · Aug 24 '11, 3:43am

I see it more like "You don't have a relationship? Well, that means you're not as invested in the outcome."

So you can without one, but your heart isn't in it, you do it half-assed, since you're only doing it for yourself.

Should we bring it to the "table" and get a consensus?

-E

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Originally Posted by DVUS
According to my reading, the base pool is 1 Value & 1 Relationship. The rest of the stuff can be added to the pool if it's applicable. In the book it specifically says, "...pick up a die for one of your Values and a second die for one of your Relationships. You may also be able to roll an Asset..."

Let me clarify by saying I'm not looking for an argument, either. This is actually a rules discussion that interests me greatly, as there have been many times in games where a player looks at me and says, "I have no applicable Relationship. What now?" I've always told them, "Well, you gotta have a Relationship. This game is about the WHY you do things. Who is remotely connected to this role? Which Relationship can you explain as being related?"

In the case that brought this up, I can definitely see Aina's Relationship with Mopsa coming into challenge. You see her taking action, does that make you think about her differently?

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Originally Posted by EldritchFire
Personally, I don't think you need a relationship in your die pool. The base pool consists of Value + Relationship + Asset + Opponents Stress + Misc.

There's not always going to be all those bits to it.

Of course, your Watchtower, so I'll go with your ruling. Not trying to be combatitive (it's the internet, so it's difficult some times to get inflection across), I'm just a rules nut

Again, your game, your rules. Just wanted to put in my 2c.

-EF

DVUS · Aug 24 '11, 3:44am

So, guys. What do you think about Relationship/No Relationship? What's your understanding of the rules?

just_jack · 3:57am

According to what I've read in the book, both a value and a relationship are required in a dice pool. I think the rules did this intentionally in order to get into what you're rolling for, you sometimes HAVE to challenge those relationships and values.

Note that the game mechanics focus on why you're doing it, not necessarily how good you are at doing it. Plus, it focuses on the drama created between the characters. If the action you're trying to take isn't applicable to one of your values or one of your relationships, there's most often not a reason to bother rolling dice.

Sometimes that issues crops up, though, I think, where something just doesn't seem to match. I think that's just Cam Banks saying "Hello, challenge your drives."

DVUS · Aug 24 '11, 3:59am

I found this thread on RPG.net where someone asked the same question. Here is Cam's response:

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There is no default. As Jason says, you have to be a little creative in thinking about what you're doing and who it's for. If you absolutely can't think of somebody, spend a Plot Point and grab a d6 Relationship for the scene. Write up a first impression of the other character (if it's a Feature) and use that d6. After the scene, the die rating steps back to a d4 for the rest of the episode. At the end, during tag scenes, you can try to get the Relationship for real by using Growth, or you can let it go and it vanishes for the next episode.

And if you don't have a Plot Point to spend, then step back one of your other Relationships or Values to get the point and spend it. Clearly, you're sacrificing some investment in somebody else to get a relationship with this new somebody, right?

Cheers,
Cam

just_jack · Aug 24 '11, 4:22am

Yep. That sounds like what needs to be done to me.

DVUS · Aug 24 '11, 4:59am

In this situation, grabbing a Relationship with the victim could have been good, as well. Grabbing a Relationship with the bad guy is an interesting twist. We'll have to see what happens to him.

DVUS · Aug 24 '11, 5:07am

I had a chat with Cam on Twitter just a bit ago and he offered an interesting option. If you absolutely cannot find a Relationship to use in a roll and don't want to spend a Plot Point to grab one up for the scene, just roll a d4. There's a chance it could help you, but also a chance that it will bring you more trouble in the form of Complications. And you'll still have the correct number of dice in your pool.

I love it.

just_jack · Aug 24 '11, 5:45am

That'll work, too. Although I think it's better to buy a relationship in the long run.

DVUS · Aug 24 '11, 6:08am

Definitely. But it's there if needed.