Rules Questions

True; at a physical table, it would just be grabbing your dice and quirking an eyebrow at somebody. But playing PBP, it's slow and fiddly (for me at least) to type in all the boxed text needed for a die roll. I don't want to do all that and then not need to have done it -- but I really like the boxed format we've been using; it's clear and it makes a good reference.

I agree with the layout, it's slick. I'll prolly just make a template, and copy/paste it every time. Too much code to keep straight sometimes

-EF

Too much code, he says. I laughed, sir. I laughed.

It's not too much code, I just can never remember the code for the container. The rest is easy. Damn memory, it must be going bad in my old age

*snort* Yeah, just rolling dice is great. But don't roll dice for a Test unless I ask for it. Trouble rolls first.

So '1's rolled by a Feature can be used as d6 Useful Details, essentially? Cool!

But I do have a rules question, of sorts (bear with me, this takes some set-up):

I think I'm getting my Cortex+ versions crossed up. In Leverage GM '1's are 'Opportunities' and are used to activate some Abilities (kind of like Smallville's Distinction triggers). And that's where I was confused in my earlier post. Smallville doesn't have any Distinctions that trigger on GM '1's.

Trying to get clarity, now:

On the bottom of page 8 in the Smallville core book, it says "When it's the Watchtower's Complication, though, the player she's rolling against may remove a die of that size or smaller from the Trouble pool." Is that intended to be during a Test vs the Trouble pool only, or is that intended to be when Watchtower rolls '1's with a Feature's dice as well?

As far as I can tell, the only way the Trouble pool ever gets smaller is when Watchtower spends Trouble dice, or when players use Watchtower '1's to remove Trouble dice. But in a Contest with a Feature, the Trouble pool isn't being used; it seems weird in that case that Watchtower '1's could be used to remove Trouble dice. On the other hand, if they can't (apart from Devon's house rule above) they seem to go to waste.

Am I making sense at all, or am I just confused?

No, I think you're right. I was thinking that, only when Trouble rolls a 1, you remove a die from Trouble. But, the way they describe it, "You’ve caught a lucky break, and the tension of the episode deflates a little." seems to support removing a die from Trouble ANY time Watchtower rolls a 1, whether it be for Trouble or a Feature.

I'm gonna see if Watchtower Report has anything else to say on it.

Found no additional information there or in High School Yearbook...

I have a running question and answer going with Josh Roby too who wrote most of both books if you'd like me to extend the query his direction. He's pretty prompt at responding.

Ok, checked the forums and Cam has answered this question. A die is removed from Trouble when Watchtower rolls a 1. Appears to be anytime, even with a Feature. That's what we're going to do from now on.