Skyscrapers & ... Groundscrapers? (OOC)

Out of character chatter about Skyscrapers & ... Groundscrapers? can go here to avoid cluttering up the Roleplay thread.This is for longer questions and answers related to that Roleplay. Basically: if it needs a back-and-forth put it here.

General rules clarification questions not answered in the Resources threads can go in Rules Clarifications, and more general discussions can go in General Chat.

Add a link back to the post in question so we can have context. After posting you can right-click on the orange header and select 'copy link address' (or whatever your browser calls it), then paste that in your OOC post.

• Did you know each other before your first run? Did you go in 'together' or get to know each other during that experience?

• Is it just the PCs, or do you have NPC help? Maybe a redshirt intern, or a 'guide in the chair' (for so long as the radio signals hold out)? Who?

I, somehow, ended up posting these in the wrong subforum, so you might have missed getting notifications... sorry, hopefully this helps?

Color perception is fun for exploring the language game. I see the headers as "red" and I have no idea whether that's the same color that you see.

If we are still going with the idea that we work for an NGO, then maybe we got put together into a team and kind of got to know each other on our first run.

And maybe we have an NGO liaison who provides us information, guidance, supplies, etc.

I like the idea of an intern who gives us staticky radio updates on the Cloud counter, the proximity of the Gov team, and keeps asking us for sitreps at inconvenient moments. And maybe we can ask a couple of questions and get useful responses.

It really seems to me [ref] that the Tech Kit, and Repair Kit, and SUBA gear, should weigh two load? Not necessarily 'linked' (always two) like the Special Weapon, but maybe variable like the Med Kit?

@tibbius: You implied you had prosthetic legs [ref]? Do these come into play at times like this? Is getting them wet a problem? Do they affect your climbing or any other activity in any way? Or are they just flavour, or internal?

They would be 'in-fiction objects', so I won't enforce anything mechanical with them, but they can lead to interesting gameplay, at your discretion.

Yes, think of the blades that you see on some runners. They have textured soles for grip, and they're somehow "grafted" so that they don't need to be removed and aren't a risk for falling off. Getting them wet, cold, hot is not a problem. They probably make climbing harder.

So, no shoes? Are they visible to people like the kids outside, or any strange creatures you run into? Or do they look 'normal' unless exposed?

I'm happy to adjust inventory as needed. And I would have taken the tricorder because obviously it is cooler, but I assumed it was not something we would have with present day tech. But if it is OK, I'll drop from Fast to Normal, take the Tricorder in hand as well, and add a Food/Water to my pack. This leaves one empty slot in my pack, which can represent a second slot from Repair or Tech Kit (which felt like they might have a bit of overlap?).

I am imagining the Tricorder as more Egon Spengler than Star Trek, fyi.

Arthur will match Fiona's load and speed, so he adds more Supplies and a Repair Kit as well as a K-bar knife.

♥ the Egon device.

Actually ... would one of us had the foresight to pack Climbing Gear for this 45-inclined edifice?

Who forgot, you mean?

"It's me, hi. I'm the problem, it's me"

That is up to you. Though limiting ourselves past what the sheet gives us can be a slippery slope.

What is the 'tech level' like on the other side? Or, more importantly, what was it like in your previous break? It may be different this time or next time.

Might you have found a 'Scanner' there? Or would it be something you cooked up after your experience over there, more specialised to dealing with 'over there' problems than 'is this water live'?
Sure. I almost always allow such minor tweaks to character creation choice as the player learns that things do not work the way they assumed (often players take a thing with the express intent to use it in a particular way, only to find the rules define it differently). This game does not define a lot, but we can still negotiate. Up until the point where those decisions have played a noticeable role in the story, they are available for change (if you have never rolled two Attributes and and want to swap them around, for instance, because they don't do what you assumed they did).
It seems that 'Fast' means very little gear. 'Normal' might be a more normal choice unless you really need to move fast. :)
You can always add that later if you find you need it. But adding it now means you planned for being there long enough to need it. Up to you.
Presumably they are different enough to justify having them separate? Maybe we can say a 'Tech Kit' can only really be used by a Techie? Then it can also do Repair kit work, though probably not quite as easily. You can do almost anything with the Techie Talent, so simple repairs are simple.
Tech level-wise, probably. Ghostbusters 'scanners' were probably just EMF meters? Might be yours is specialised to what you learned the last time, and you will need to MacGyver (Techie) it when you encounter new stuff?

---

I notice you have introduced an error into your sheet, looks like you capitalized some stuff, somehow? `on_hand_Max != on_hand_max`

While you are making changes, maybe copy/paste the latest updates (those three checkmarks on Insight to get +2 look weird, right?), so I changed it to be 'type in numbers' style in the template, but up to you.

I also assume you meant to reduce Prowess like you had before going Colt? Your total Attributes should be +1.

Maybe in the car? You could re-kit when you arrive on-scene.

OK, Egon-style tricorder, made from what Fiona learned in her first break! So, on Fiona's first break, the tech she brought in worked normally, but the tech that was there was mostly disabled. She was able to reactivate the local tech with a bit of work, though. She just experimented with simple things like elevators, not computers or more modern stuff.

I'll mess with inventory. And thanks for the tips on the sheet I'll try to fix.

'Local tech' being what? Stuff from our world or from theirs?

If theirs, tell us more (possibly in the RP, when appropriate) about how it was 'disabled' (abandoned? derelict? lost power? whatever).

If ours, did you need generators or did you find power on the other side? Or was it not an issue like power that you had to overcome, but something else?

Hmm, maybe I misunderstand what a break is. Inside the growing "bubble" of a break, the things that had been there before are still there, yes? Like, parked cars, etc? Or is it an entirely different environment?

I was imagining that something like an EMP pulse goes out, disables all the present tech, but it can be reactivated. There are also things from the break that are deposited, like creatures, crystals, artifacts perhaps, etc. As if two worlds are overlaid atop one another.

This is kind of what I was getting at with my description of the "library" Break: the basic framework of the "real" world remained, but invaded by otherworldly things. And the further from the portal, the more things were Other.

I don't know. I am asking you.
That is exactly how it is... er... was. We will go with something like you described.

And the glass surfaces.

Upside of gecko gloves is that they are small enough that your Climbing Gear can cover two people. Downside is that they are not as reliable as ropes and harnesses, of course. ... and the glass surfaces.
So, probably checking the basement for that?

If you don't go down to the basement, you, obviously, would not find or know this. :)

I am not dictating what your characters do. Sentences like the above tell you a few things: that going down is an option —if you choose to accept it— and that you will not encounter anything that needs to be overcome while doing that (no dice rolls needed (to sneak or pick locks, for instance)), and that it will not be a complete waste of time to do so.

If we struggle to separate player knowledge from character knowledge I can stop doing this.

@Drgwen, this is not meant to pressure you, just making sure we are all on the same page. :)

I am waiting to see if Fiona has anything to say about Arthur's question about if you find anything else in the basement [ref]. It is up to you.

Also, regarding the generators and the angle and the spilled fuel... It seems that many things are stacked against you down here, even so, as a Techie you can definitely try to get the generators running, it will either take quite a while or you will have a -1 Penalty due to environmental 'bad conditions' and it being 'a terrible idea'. :)
(The 'Cost' on a 7-9 may well just be that you can choose to take a long time or give up and not get them going.)

If you don't want to do anything more in the basement do we want to head up?

Ah sorry! Yes, I'll reply IC

Though I had thought I'd answered Arthur about the basement already (ref)

Yes, I somehow misunderstood where you were going and didn't shoulder the burden of moving the action along in response.

No problem! The environment is complex and I am not really sure what exactly we want to do here. Or where to go to find break stuff.

It seems like the basement and lobby are places we can "rest". I'm waiting for Fiona's scanner to clue us in to a place we can "scrounge".

Hey @drgwen, would you be cool with clicking on the library book icon next to Fiona in your character list? I'm really curious what her sheet is like. You can assume that Arthur has told Fiona / she has noticed all the fiction-relevant parts of his character sheet.

Whoops! I thought I had made it public. Sure

Wait this says it already is ?

You should both be able to see each other's sheets, I did check when you submitted them, in case I needed to provide instruction.

Interesting. I see Arthur's sheet. That's it. @drgwen do you see Arthur's sheet or just Fiona's?

Weird. Where are you looking? I have just confirmed that even players not in the game can see both characters in the Characters menu at the bottom of the page.

Sheet Links if we need them:
• Fiona
• Arthur

Well of course it would work now 😉

Wait what?? @tibbius where did you get those numbers of goblins?

Just making things up as we go

You rolled a 9, so nine goblins affected. It just makes sense. :)

This is great. Take the initiative like this. Similarly, mushrooms and frogs appeared after the cave was declared as humid [ref] (until then I was picturing it as dry, though I did waffle back and forth on describing the earth as damp, and then as dry... but those led to too strong an implication (muddy/sandy) which I did not intend, so I skipped describing it). Until such details are declared they are available to us to adjust as we like.

tibbius' description also does not try to be exhaustive, it does not claim these 9 were every goblin, just mentioned the ones affected, which is great. It sets a lower bound but not a an upper one.

That post also establishes that there are missing coat-people, and that there weren't just outside the beam of your torch. Else Arthur would have seen them in Fiona's mag-sunbeam.
It is now. Now that we have had a better look and identified them as goblins and not svarts or cobalts... or a they German?
That seems in line with Techie, yes. Not sure how you conjured the time to have a full conversation first, and a rummage in your pack (the point about things not being on-hand is that they are not on-hand :). Lighter loads would also mean smaller packs so quicker rummage times.

Good thing they weren't actively attacking.
Once you roll we are bound by the result, so this could have escalated the situation.

It is also risky to roll before we know what the outcomes might be. PbtA rules say we discuss and get everyone on the same page before rolls happen, let them try another tack if their plan is unreasonable or would not achieve what they wanted.

In this case the action is perfect. (The timing is a little wonky, but we will ignore that for now.)

The price is what I assume you expected. Your assault on their delicate, subterranean eyeballs makes them angry, as it would, but the Partial Success buys you time to study and plan (quickly).

Let's see what Fiona is doing, but we will probably need a roll for this (Insight, seems right, but I am open to other suggestions). You still present a fairly scary visage, so, as it stands you will have limited effectiveness.

I'll make the roll here in case it's needed next post in RP.

Once we roll we are bound by the results based on the fiction that came before.

In the future let's keep all RP rolls in the RP thread.

Adding a roll to a RP post does not violate Don't Edit, it does not change the content of the post (in fact, the site does not even consider the post 'edited'), just be sure to drop a note in the OOC so we know it happened. It can speed things along to mention the number at the same time, that way we don't first need to load the (sometimes slow) RP page and seek for the post in question.

Easiest is usually to add a new post anyway. That way any addition fiction can be dealt with.

If we want to abandon the woman to the care of her goblinised friends [ref], and don't want to deal with this scene anymore, we can have her faint, or something, and give you a free-pass to skip it.

I'm OK with that. @Tibbius, I would rather not have Fiona making all of the decisions. Can we collaborate on those going forward? Thanks.

As noted in the Help! thread in Fiction First and Don't placeholder and the rules of all PbtA games: We need to deal with the fiction first before we deal with dice rolls. Dice rolls are fiction driving events, but need to be based in the fiction, it is a cycle. Without the fiction of what you are actually doing we can not adjudicate any but the most simple actions, and then we might as well be playing DnD ... or Zork (`Hit troll with axe.`:).

Once you have rolled, we are bound by the results, and you don't get to shape the fiction to your advantage anymore.
I guess a 4 now means it can not understand you at all.
A 13 is pretty conclusive, but a Partial Success when you did not know the potential outcomes could have been messy and something you would prefer to have avoided.

I am curious to what extent the players or DM can frame the risks for a partial success / disaster. I was tempted for Option 1 to write,
Would that have been ok?

By the rules PbtA still follows the standard RPG mantra: The players say what their characters are doing and the GM says what the world does in response and calls for rolls if needed.

How much say you have over dice outcomes varies greatly from table to table. Some GMs, like myself, are very collaborative, some prefer an stronger divide between GM authority and player input. Speak to your GM before you start defining what could go wrong. Unless otherwise stated, it is probably best to assume you only have authority over your own character and wait till the GM asks you to "Describe how that goes" after a roll (or establishes that as a pattern).

---

---

Using your example in the OOC post above, and picking it apart in a picky way, for illustration:

You are assuming, there, that the enemy will attack instead of trying to flee, and that it will attack directly. This defines the nature of the beast in a way that may not be what the GM planned (or was not what module said), maybe it has ranged attacks and does not pounce (it looked like it was going to pounce, but the team did not spend time studying it so they don't know), this can often lead to lowest-common-denominator fights, or to zaniness if the player describes the NPCs doing things that are out of character for what is happening. Personally I have very few 'plans' so I can easily pivot to incorporate what the players say, so we end up with the 'people turning into goblins', and now that is what is happening in this break, but that may distress other GMs.

You also described it 'poised to chomp'. In PbtA the NPCs don't roll dice, and an 'attack action' is a give and take: On a Miss they hurt you (as established in the fiction†); on a Success you hurt them; and on a Partial Success you both hurt each other. In the case of a 12+ (think 'critical') we did not bother to roll for damage and you did enough to drop it ... In truth I forgot this game had damage rolls, most PbtA games don't, but I probably would not have called for one here, as that would be anti-climactic, damage numbers are boring, damage effects are fun.

It can not 'chomp' you till you make a Move (or give the GM a 'golden opportunity' to make a GM Move), so that could be considered a bit weaselly, giving you another chance to act before it does anything, though the fiction of being pinned definitely adds to the drama, so I like it. I would hope such an act tells us something about the nature of the beast, that it might not want to hurt you (just yet?) and wants to restrain you, but that would depend on the fiction and the nature of the characters.

You describe 'its next move would be aggressive', that takes away the option that its next move would be to flee. Even monsters won't fight to the death if they don't have to‡.

Footnotes
• † PbtA (or at least Apocalypse World (the OG)) uses the term 'harm as established'. The GM does not get to just deal harm, the players need to know before they take an action what to expect. This is a conversation, before the dice hit the table. 'Established' does not mean you know the numbers, but you were warned it would be on the scale of 'crocodile'. If you fight it, that is what you should be expecting. The salamander and frog hints, and the explicit mention of a long tongue also suggest some ranged capabilities.
But your Techie is reckless so you will only learn these things after they are used rather than through pre-fight study. :)

• ‡ I have taken these examples from Apocalypse World (the OG), so the numbers are based on that game's 'hit points' and 'damage' figures (small weapon 2-Harm, really big weapon 4-Harm plus extras).
So, if an enemy is likely to fear pain they may not want to keep fighting after you have hurt them or killed their companions, or whatever. They may be angry enough to fight to the death, but, logically, most things won't, right?

Breakers has a lot more HP than AW, but you don't need to plow though all those HP before anything happens. Many fights can end when you have make it clear how it will go.

---

---

This is slipping towards a 'directorial' style of play, which is out of tone with the rest of the gameplay so far. Some groups don't like that, some groups don't view that style as 'RP'. Based on what has gone before that sounds like an OOC conversation and not an in-character description of what Arthur does. Words like 'tries to shoot it' feel very different to anything that came before, right? 'Arthur shoots it', or 'shoots at it' or something more in-universe-descriptive would be more in keeping with the tone, but this is getting unnecessarily nitpicky.

I take responsibility for this, given how I left it [ref]. I was giving you an opportunity to do something before a fight started, and Arthur trying (unsuccessfully) to negotiate peace with it was a good example of that, but dice were rolled to attack, and, once the dice are rolled we are committed.

The problem with the 'Option 2: The lizard understands Arthur and he might be able to befriend it. +Insight' roll is that you can't roll to negotiate with it if it can't understand language. To do it you have to do it in the fiction, before you can roll it you have to actually trigger the move for what you are rolling. Breakers only has one Move ('Defy Danger' on Dungeon World parlance, 'Act Under Fire' in AW), but whatever you are rolling for still needs to be possible in the fiction. The rolls show us how well you do, not whether you can even do it. (... well that's complicated, and I take a 4 like this, in a case like this, to mean these things can not talk or are not sentient). If, for instance, you find a tank, or space-ship, or whatever in the break, you can not roll to attack it with your pistol, no matter how well you roll it will go badly for you. Once you roll, though, we are bound by the dice result, with a 12+ being 'as good as you could expect', which, if facing a tank with a pistol is 'not very good for you'. The fiction comes first.

This also means rolling for many things at once, when they might depend on each other can get messy. I know this is meant to speed up gameplay, but, especially in more complex games (like Blades in the Dark) it tends to slow things down. In a simpler game (like DnD), where our actions are simple binaries, this works. But in fiction first games we want to see the fiction before we see the roll, else we need to speculate about all the possible branching realities that could come from the combinatoric explosion of dice outcomes and possible NPC reactions.

Rather than trying to anticipate all the outcomes in one post, post with what your character is doing, up to the point it could fail, then, if a roll is called for (which may be obvious in some cases, like an attack) roll the dice, then, if the outcome is clear (usually a full Success) narrate how it goes, in as much as you can. Maybe you narrate Arthur's flawless (12+) shot in terms of his stance and confidence and character, and possible include something extra (for the 12+) he wants to get from it or just the bullseye (eye of newt?) accuracy (implying extra Harm). The GM, who knows the HP involved should probably describe things like 'wounded', else you assume it had enough HP to withstand your shot and rob yourself of finding they only have large size, not large HP, for instance. It is a balancing act.

---

---

If you want to read more PbtA, you can get Apocalypse World 1e for free from the authors website [link] (2e clarified the language a bit, and added some nifty rules for vehicle combat, but 1e is still a solid game, and well worth the read (if you can't get 2e, which is often given away for free on itch.io [link])), and I am a fan of Impulse Drive (for Sci-Fi and Star Wars and such) and it has a pay what you want version that includes all the rules but with less refined layout and art work (I actually usually use the free version since I prefer the simpler layout) [link].

That was a lot. We can discuss in further detail if you want.

This can work. Though experimentation takes time (though forgetting that fact seems in character for Fiona, no?).

If Arthur agrees, you can shoot the poor thing again (and again) and see what happens. Make a roll (which is almost definitely Insight (awareness, understanding, smarts), right?).
On a -6 you misunderstand the principle behind this and it leads you astray in your future endeavours or in what you scrounge.
On a 7-9 you realise what is going on, but it takes time and we tick the clock for the Cloud of Woe.
On a 10+ your experiments are quick and efficient and you can push for more valuable data, or avoid advancing the Cloud of Woe, your choice.
On a 12+ either both extra benefits from the 10+ or one of them and something else you think may be interesting.

No matter what, the salamander will be pissed.

Oh yes. She forgets to eat when she is doing research; she has to set an alarm to remind herself, or else she passes out. That sort of thing.

I figured. :)

Agreed. (For now... ;)
While your gun may run out of bang, your knife should never run out of stab. You have other options.

Running low on ammo at a time like this would be mainly fictional, we only care when it makes the game more interesting, so this may lead to ammo problems later in the game when you realise you wasted a lot here and needed it for fighting. As you say, rummaging in your pack (an action that may call for a roll to do quickly) should resolve that if it comes up.

I am all caught up now and I believe that in time our inhumanity to this frogagator thing is going to be a ridiculous, shameful entry in our diaries. ... speaking as the ghost of breakers-past.

Might be.

Do you want to bring your character in in time to part of this, or afterwards? We can also see if it will take long (in real-world-time) and decide based on that, too.

Not necessary to radically retcon me in. Just being smarmy and demonstrating that I am caught up.

We can (and often do) 'retcon' characters always having been there or never having been there. This is a game for new players, and such players come and go and we have an open door policy, having to explain why and how can get complicated, so we often just ignore the continuity and continue as though nothing happened.

In this case, so close to the start, we can just easily just call the characters back to the portal or to the building so you can join up.

The question is if we do that before the (curtailed) experiments, or after.

But we can also, just as easily, say that Herman was with the group from the beginning.

OK. You have your second shooting. Do your thing ... and probably roll your dice, based on what you describe.

After is fine - that way they can explain it to me ;-)

I would assume your Tech Kit —as 'Specialized tools for technical work'— includes most of what you need. Maybe call these 'Samples' and note what they are labelled as. You can add more 'samples' to this, and eventually, when it seems reasonable, you may need to tick another checkbox of weight.
@tibbius: What is Arthur doing during this, time-consuming, process [ref]?

If have not heard from @tibbius I am going to move this along in a next few hours and assume default cautious behaviour from Arthur.

@lemagne: Go ahead and narrate your arrival at the break-site, your reaction to the sight, and what you do.
Feel free to include as much or as little detail as you want (about your reaction, about what you were doing when you got the call, about the call itself, or anything else).

@vagueGM We (I) haven't worried about equipment/encumbrance - I just assume that we are driving the "*** Institute" van which has a full load out of stuff we probably need and I have a backpack that I can load with whatever. (?). I assume at least I have a helmet, an armored vest, handgun, mace, a first aid kit,Hazmat gear, knife, lighter, glow sticks, zip-ties, walkie talkie, energy bars, water. And C4? I am a sherpa more or less.

Opinions vary, but, personally, I am not a fan of @ mentioning people every time. This is a 'new' feature on the site and not something I use by habit. It also leaves messy artifacts on the home page (they don't clear when we read the post, we have to manually clear them (usually all at once, which does not make them helpful)).

I tend to only mention people if I think they might need to be attracted to a page they might not otherwise have read. That way the prompt on the font page might catch their attention (if they read that... as I hinted, I don't think this is a properly worked feature:).

As the GM I pretty much have to read all posts. :) This is the same reason I suggest not bolding NPC names (in Help! Formatting (optional)), the GM has to look at them all anyway.

As I say, though, opinions vary, and many are in the habit (possibly from newfangled things like twitter?) of appending @s to everyone's name (even before the site did anything with them). I don't care either way, my home page will be cluttered up with someone @tting me anyway. :)

---

---

All we really need to do specify how much we are bringing in. You do this with the checkmarks by Equipment. This defines both how fast you can move and react, and the number of items you have on-hand and in your pack (pack items take a while to get to and use). This is about how much you brought in, not about how much you can bring out, though going over the numbers means you move slower, and, if you need to move faster, you can say you are dropping stuff (littering).
That seems simple, that way you can adjust your loadout based on what you find when you arrive at the break, and possibly even have someone coming in later bring you things you neglected to bring (as you suggested in your RP [ref]:).
Yes, you have a certain number of items in your 'pack'. Your sheet currently says you are running a 'Normal' load. Which is 5 items in your pack and 3 items 'on-hand' which could be 'on your belt' or in a holster and such, this includes armor and stuff you are wearing.
If you are wearing armor then it can be an armored helmet, else I assume you have 'caving helmets' or something suitable for going into unknown areas.
If you want to load up for a fight, then sure. This is not DnD, we don't assume you are fighting things. But what you choose will be what you face... until it isn't.
If you want to say you always have those with you, then you can start with them marked. Else you can leave it vague and, if you still have checkboxes available, mark them when you find you need them and say you always had them.

Sometimes saying later that you had something that was not mentioned before can be a bit complicated, like if you have been hurt a few times and did not deduct Armor from the Harm and now say you have Armor, we just ignore these incongruities for the sake of convenience. They are not retroactive, in this example the Armor did not protect you before 'for reasons' (a bullet-proof vest does not stop one from being shot in the throat (or from twisting an ankle)).
There is a whole lot of stuff listed at the top of the On-Hand section. I assume the 'Rig:' stuff is considered 'free' and does not count towards your load (though we can talk about if you ever want to 'drop everything' (for reasons of speed?))
That is listed under Supplies. If you bring them then you have them, else you would need to make do and bum off the others? This is exactly the sort of thing you can mention later, like when you find you are spending enough time in here, or mention up front if you want to say that your character 'always comes prepared'. What would your character do?
If you want. See the point about 'Supplies' above.
If you want to be a 'sherpa more' then you can increase your Equipment load and be 'Slow'. This will give you more options.

You can still keep these Pack and On-Hand checkboxes for later marking if you don't know yet what you would bring. We can assume our characters have a better understanding of the world they live in than we do.

Wow, you weren’t kidding about Herman being tonally very different than the rest of the game, VagueGM. He’s something!

One wonders why the Institute thinks he is valuable. What do they know that we don't? (It's probably about that so-called 'Arcane' stuff, right? Has to be?:)

1 - ok no more @s
2- then the stuff I put in RP applies. And I guess since he is used to thinking in terms of being equipped to perform on stage then, ya, what he has on him per my RP, including C4, is his assumed normal load for a gig like this. for the gun it would a 9mm glock. The knife is a basic combat knife. He knows how to use the pistol (NV is an open carry state w/ lots of libertarians) He's not really a fighter (so he's not concealed packing when not on the job) but he wants to be prepared for whatever.

Are we in NV? I missed that

his birthplace/hometown is Las Vegas

...home of libertarians and cheesy stage/comic magicians...

Oh gotcha.

Though, I assume, they don't all have to be born there, they just all have to move there... :)

Trying to get clear picture. We have a small "skyscraper" 150m in height that is tilted 45 degrees so that lobby entrance is now underground. I am assuming that the pivot is very near the entry point since we only need to go, say, 4m below the normal ground level in order to enter. Sorry to be a nerd.

And I assume that there is a mound built up under the tower where the central elevator/stairs are. Since thats "underground" where the goblins, etc are.

Yes, how could you! A nerd in an RPG! Unheardof! :)
We are playing 'theater of the mind', which can be a bit of work to gets one's mind around. Ask as many questions as you need.

One of the benefits of theatre of the mind is that we don't have to define more than we need to, so the scene is free to evolve as it needs.

A downside is that people may be picturing something different to each other. It is surprising how little this actually matters. :) Till it does. :(

Whenever you need clarification we can nail down details.
Around that height. It was defined as 'thirty stories tall and had a footprint about the size of two football fields side by side' [ref]

I am not sure about the 'two football fields' as that makes it rather cuboid. Your 30m base seems reasonable, but we don't really care about these dimensions. Picture a 30 story skyscraper, and that should be enough to get everyone on the same page.
Yep. It fell that far... and then stopped, as though it crashed into something, but there is nothing for it to crash into.

Once inside it looks like it is laying on a hill/mountain, but from the outside you can not see anything for it to lay on. You have to go through the portal to see the ground and the caves below (beside) it.

This is meant to be a confusing location, there are two places smashed into each other and I am not sure we can really draw a map of how they connect. So far it seems pretty linear, but there is no way to know if this correlation will continue as you progress further into the break.

None of you have a clear picture of that the previous break was like and any attempts to map it out afterwards have shown that everyone had wildly differing opinions on the facts.
No, the lobby entrance is right were it always was, at the intersection of the front (now bottom) wall and the pavement.

The entire building has rotated around that point. The far side has lifted out of the ground to accommodate that fulcrum. Much as you have drawn, but without any sinking of the lobby entrance which is now a portal.
It pivoted around the entry point, like that is a fixed-point in space.
No. That is at ground level.
From outside there is nothing 'under' the building, it looks like it is laying on open air, like a magic trick.

In order to get in you have to walk under the building, so it leans over you. There are kids playing under the building and you saw a helicopter fly under it as well. It just hangs there.
Er... not sure? The elevators are inside, so you can't be sure from outside. They are near the center of the building.
No. The goblin underground is out through the window, into what, from the outside, should be open air. From inside it is dark below (to the side) and turned out to be 'resting on/in a hill' that does not show up from the outside.

It is confusing! Like reality has broken!

---

---

Does that help? Anything more you need? Happy to talk more.
The characters are supposed to be confused. But we want the players to understand enough to be able to play them within this reality.

That turned out to be gecko gloves. But you still have space in your pack, so you could mark Climbing Gear and find you have some in there. Going straight up the side could be quicker than going through the building.

Can we drop the gecko gloves down to Herman? He'd be going up a 45 degree angle glass exterior; that should be easy with gecko gloves, right?

Maybe? But they are light and could be blown away, it would be a gamble.

They could also break, they are technology with batteries and everything.

He could get some from the van if you want to go that route, it should not be an impossible mission. That way you could have four sets between the three of you, so a spare.
He would still be going up 90°, and also have to traverse at that 45° angle along the wall.

With a rope he would be hanging in mid-air till he gets up to the glass, then still have very little to hold onto except the rope.

Ah, it sounds like he should just walk the long way. Herman?

I am having a challenging time today following the previous action. (One could wish there was a display mode in gamer’s plane that would sequence/interleave the RP and OOC posts.)
Now as I understand it, the building is literally tilted at 45 degrees over on its bottom front edge where the sliding, normal or revolving doors would be but right now these doors are mostly replaced by a misty, shimmering portal field that we have to climb up into and/or through. And before we can enter the portal there is an expansive, two or three foot deep pool of muddy water caused presumably by the places where the water and sewage pipes were severed. My teammates have already verified that the water is not in contact with live electrical current and so is safe, if messy to cross.
Once through the portal field you are now in a 90 degree valley/trench with one side the (marble, tile, or carpet) floor of the lobby and the other the (luckily thick shatterproof) front windows of the building. The trench bottom is cluttered with various pieces of reception furniture and decor. The building lobby is open two or three stories in the center with escalators and elevators however around the center it has a mezzanine level splitting the vertical space.

Because we at a 45 degree slant the escalators that are parallel and in front of us are actually vertical now. This also applies to normal stairs (one run will be vertical and the next horizontal. )

And how did we climb up to the third floor? Using some kind of gecko gloves? Cos the low tech way would be to use a long ladder OR a grappling hook with rope ascenders which you can buy from REI or wherever. So just climbing to the third floor to catch up might take a minute.

Am I in the ballpark?

So the perhaps most efficient way to catch up would be to use a helicopter to lower herman an upper window of the third floor and enter a window,(break it somehow) then lower myself with a rope (or with another pair of gecko gloves). Do we have access to a building schematic? once we have a combined party-- how do we leave? I'm flailing here.

were gonna need a bigger boat is my feeling

Or if not a helicopter then a fire engine ladder. One of those wouldn't happen to be handy?

Pretty much.

You are trying to take a very big bite all at once. Maybe don't worry too much about that the others did and focus on what your character does. We can deal with the inside once you get in there. Or we can do a Montage Roll to get you to them and not worry about the details that came before.

But your summary is basically correct.
Minor corrections:
• The water outside is more like ankle deep (it was knee deep before, but has drained). The main danger is that wet shoes will make your life miserable and make it harder to climb the slick surfaces, but, so far, the others have not had much trouble with that.
• 'Shatterproof' is a misnomer, as you can see from all the shattered windows. But most are still intact. They are, mostly, strong enough to walk on.

There is climbing gear in the truck, the first team opted for high-tech lighter options, with dependence on power. You can do the same or go with ropes and grapples or anything else you choose.

---

---

That is possible. You don't have a helicopter, but you may be able to get one of the news choppers to help you. We would ask you to show us how you do that and what you offer them.
Sure.
Worry about getting out when you need to. Deal with how you get in and leave the rest for later. You have a small problem ahead of you, it is only strangely cast shadows that make the molehill look like a mountain.
Sure. As likely as a helicopter. Whatever you want to do, do it, and we will see how well it turns out.

Tell us your first step.

Maybe next time? Now I have ideas...

ok a montage.

I call our Chloe. I am assuming we have a "Chloe" (like from '24') who wears a headset in order to support our ridiculous demands and can call around to rent us a helicopter (also arrange and provide all the necessary waivers to sign since I am gonna hang from it). (or maybe the institute has one on a retainer arrangement that they can dispatch?) "oh yeah Chloe, and also the building schematics, I am gonna need those too. thanks in advance."

While I am waiting for the copter to pick me up, after Chloe has texted me the schematics, I carefully read them in order to pick the a good window and plan my route to rappel back through the third floor of the building to where pheebs and arturo are waiting.

So assuming that all works without some sort of critical injury I will be caught up and we can resume 'in media res'. I love it when a plan comes together.

Note: I am disregarding the idea of going in from the side of the building because the helicopter maneuvering would be more difficult and (assuming it worked) I wouldn't have any leverage to use in whacking and/or prying the windows - in that case I would need some sort of explosive or a gun for that sort of breech. I am a magician not a SWAT team member!

Yes, your 'Chloe' is called 'Sid'. Do you call them 'Sid', or do you call them 'Chloe' for some reason?
Generally I veer away from having the NPCs solve our problems for us. We can make an exception in a Montage, though.
That does concern me. There is a clock on this mission and you can't hang around waiting for someone to send you a chopper just to avoid climbing (even if literally) a few flights of stairs.
If you want Sid to arrange this with the news chopper we can do that. Maybe you will owe them afterwards, but we can see if that comes up later.
The plans don't include which windows are broken. You will need to judge that from the air. You can find one that works.
No matter how badly it goes, you will be caught up.

We will ask you for a Montage Roll (Rules), and this maneuver sounds like Prowess. (For reasons that will become apparent you will also need to roll Resolve (Arcane) as a follow-up once we know how the rappel goes, but let's get the first step going.)

---

---

Describe how you deplane... er... dehelicopter? dechopper? ... How you descend from the chopper.
Feel free to show us your interaction with the pilot and reporter if you want.

Include a Prowess (athletics, right?) roll (that is 2d6+0) as your Montage Roll. If you don't describe it as being an athletic endeavor, then it could just as easily be Insight (smarts). The fiction you describe defines what needs to be rolled, so we can revisit this question after you post the fiction (up the point it could fail).

---

---

You can add a roll to a post in many ways, you can always use the big red Add button below the textarea (where you type) to add the type of roll you need. This is a Basic roll, since it uses normal dice. You can give it a Reason (not mechanical, but lets us know why you are adding a roll if it is unclear, or know which is which), you can call it 'Entry Montage' or something suitable. In the Roll field you enter the dice code plus modifiers, in this case literally 2d6+0 (I like to include the modifiers, even if they are zero, since it makes it clear, but feel free to leave that off).

Take a look at the Dice roller guide if you want to read more about what the site can do.

Your character sheet also has shortcuts. You can click on your character name below the dice roller to expand it, then you can click the Roll column of the Attribute table to auto-fill the dice roller fields. They only roll when you post, so you can still edit them after clicking, maybe to add more detail to the Reason field or to add further Modifiers.

---

---

In PbtA, the dice results fall into a few bins:

• On a 6- the GM will make a GM Move, which is usually something your character will not enjoy (though as a player you can revel in it, it is not a punishment, but drives the story forward (Nothing Never Happens)).
• On a 7-9 you succeed, but at a cost, or only in part. PbtA calls this a Partial Success, it is a Success, though, so we don't take that away with the consequences. (Grimwild calls these a Messy Success, which is a much better term that I may start using.:) Sometimes the 'cost/consequence' may include a choice, maybe you can choose to not Succeed in order to avoid a cost, the GM will let you know.
• On a 10+ You get a full Success, no cost or consequence. This is always based on the fiction you described, though, so what you get needs to be reasonable for what you did.
• On a 12+ You get 'something extra', this is rare enough that we will need to discuss it when it happens. Not all PbtA games have 12+ results, and some require you to 'level up' to activate them ('Advance a Basic Move' in Apocalypse World parlance).

@drgwen shall we vote on this? Maybe it would be fun to advance a segment on the eight-piece clock while Herman figures out how to reach us. Maybe we should do that for *any* montage type scene.

Without reading all of the above, a question: how long did it take for f & a to navigate and climb to the third floor? Because if it took at least 30 minutes (which seems plausible) and I can't do it any faster (which seems to be the case helicopter or not) then it makes no sense for anyone to wait for me because the doom-clock is ticking.
Thats not saying I can't start the above catch-up montage. Maybe I just get up to the third floor and set up the ropes to enable a faster climb back to the stairs (for when the gloves run out of juice.)

If Herman hitches a ride on a news chopper it will only take a minute or two. No need tick the clock in that case.

Thats a much better idea - and as a quid pro quo Herman promises the unethical, rogue reporter an off-the-record interview upon his return. Still need the schematic from Sid-middlename-Chloe.
[off to read about the dice roller now]

That will have fun consequences later. :)
Sid will send them to you.

Herbert rigs up a block and tackle inside the copter so they can dangle him (we assume a pulley is part of the van equipment - along with plenty of climbing rope and duct tape) Herbert is using a belay harness if he has one otherwise duct tape again to make one and attach it to a couple carabiners. Now its up to the pilot to get him above the correct window and he will be signaling (by pointing/gesturing) to the guy (the reporter?) doing the belaying.

I am not sure if this was meant to be an in-character RP post, it is a bit mixed in content. I will try define what we want a bit clearer next time we have Montage. I will post in the RP in response to this.
If you mark Climbing Gear on your sheet then you will have a rope and a harness as well as a belay device which is also a descender you can use to go down the rope in a controlled manner (abseil/rappel).
Personally, I would advise Herman to do this himself. Best to be in control of your own life when attached to a helicopter. You want to be able to free yourself if something strange happens.

But, if Herman does not feel confident to do it himself, or if he is using the helicopter's equipment, then they can control it, no problem. If it's their gear (or if you are leaving Institute gear with them) then you don't need to mark anything on your sheet since you don't have it after this scene.
A simple loop on the chopper would allow you to double your rope, letting both ends hang down, then pull it through when you are done. Unless it is the choppers rope and you are not keeping it?

You already said you had climbing gear and it was gecko gloves. You are welcome to add another item of Climbing Gear if you want to also have ropes and such, but this post seems to miss the change of plans and the helicopter entry. We can assume you are taking action to help your companion get from the chopper.

@lemagne: Bigger PbtA games have established 'Moves', these Moves have defined outcomes for each of the dice results and players can have a fairly good idea of what sort of thing to expect whenever they roll.

Breakers only has one Move, which does not define what happens, so we should talk about it before players commit to rolls and lock themselves in to a particular course of action.

In this case you only really have two choices (given the 6 you rolled above:).

• You can bounce off the barrier and take your chances sliding down the side of the building, you will probably need to take some action (which would probably call for a roll) to make it down in one piece, but then you will need to make your way round to the portal and make the climb up to your companions. You can still get in that way. You will get in, no matter what (else the game does not happen:).

• Or, you can try to use Arcane to 'make your own portal' or 'pierce the barrier' or whatever. The actual mechanism will be up to you and be based off of how you describe your character's actions. Again, we want you to get in, so we can assume that part will work, it is just about what it costs you.
Let's deal with the easy ones first:
On a 10+ you manage the magics and form a temporary doorway in the barrier and pass though to the inside of the break and join your companions.
On a 12+ you gain a benefit, we can talk about it if that happens. Maybe you are especially attuned to this realm for a while; or you think you might be able to replicate the portal again (at extreme risk, but it might give you another exfiltration strategy?); or something else you want.
On a 7-9 you get in, but either find the rope did not extend into this reality and fall, taking Harm (both mechanical (1d6 (or less if your companions can catch you?)) and fictional (limping for a while)); or you get frazzled and slightly out of sync with this realm in some way. These both could be resolved by Resting for a while.
On a 6- either you get lightly fried by the barrier as you pass though and take the Harm and the frazzled condition; or you bounce hard and have to save yourself on the slide down the outside and have to come in from the bottom, slight the worse for wear.

The choices are yours.

So I rolled a six and therefore I couldn't get through the window. I am confused between the RP post where the helicopter drops me off. I thought that the portal where t & a entered was still available - or is it now closed? Cos if the portal is open I will go in and, using arcane, visualize a magic bean stalk up to the third floor. (or is that, i am sure, incredibly dangerous option, now unavailable?)

@lemagne: tl;dr: You can still try to get through the window using magic, or you can take your chances and try to get down the outside and use the portal at the base.

---

---

A 6- does not mean you fail and can't get through, it means things don't go as you wanted, that there is a major complication, this could lead to your not being able to get get through, but does not mean that.

This is not DnD where a low roll means you simply failed to do what you set out to do and that is it. "Your swing misses the ork." is boring, "You hit the ork and find that they are resistant to iron weapons, you will need change all your plans going forward!" is much more interesting (using DnD language as an example).

Not getting in and needing go round the long way is also boring, we want to get you inside so the game can continue, so we set this out with the assumption you would be able to get in, but it might cost you. You have a choice about the cost you take.
Yes, it is still down there. You can choose to bounce off the 'window' barrier and deal with the consequences of that scene outside. Then, once you have shown us how you survive that, you can walk around and use the portal the others used.
The portal is still still open. But you first have to deal with the situation you are in. You are not on the ground, you are hanging from a helicopter, about to smash into the 'side' of a building.

I presented two choices, but they can be treated as examples if you want to try some radically different approach that makes sense to you or your character in the situation.

The options I thought made sense were:

1. For you to deal with your situation in a mundane way, hit the side and try to survive the fall, maybe by sliding, or maybe by hanging onto the rope and trying to make plans with the helicopter to dangle you to safety.

2. For you to quickly use your Arcane ability to try to get inside from there you are, make another portal here on the window and enter that way.

It is up to you. The situation is dynamic. All options have risks.
Once you have made it to the bottom —if you go that way— you can choose how to ascent those three floors. You could do it the way the others did (possibly with their help, especially if you got injured falling from a helicopter and building). Their way was tiring but not all that hard.

Using magic to solve mundane problems (like climbing awkward stairs) would be 'a very bad idea'... which is not to say you shouldn't do it, it could be fun, but there is no guarantee you would survive (unscathed). Is Herman the type to try using magic for everything as soon as he is in a world where magic 'works'? That does seem like it may be in character. If so, he will have to learn that the Institute handbook is not kidding when it says: "... tries to channel it without blowing their brains out ..." [ref], even a good result is unpredictable.
Always available, just, as you say: "incredibly dangerous". :)

I surrender - I am telling the helicopter to abort.

OK. Can you show us in the RP how you do that.

Assume you succeed and enter the portal at the entrance.

Shall we have the others come down and join you to make things simple?

Works for me!

I think it is more important to get the characters together so we can play the game together than it is to worry about the bit of time it takes to get together. The Montage covers everything needed to get us to the state we aimed for.

I did consider ticking the clock as the price for the 6-, but I worry that that will cause 'problems later' and would rather have 'problems now' from this action.

You are together, but you need to start picking up the pace, there is a growing sense of urgency that is more than just the Cloud of Woe (or is that 'Cloud of Whoa!' for Herman?). I will hint at this urgency as we proceed.

We don't know that yet, no one checked. Herman would have to investigate.
We want your actions to be achievable, so the exact position of the elevator can be one of the conditions of your roll. You think it is where you want it to be (hard to tell in the dark with a flashlight) but may be wrong and will only find out when you get there, for instance.

or the elevator is in the basement already and the world is my oyster, nothing up my sleeves, Hocus Pocus.

This OOC (Out of Character) thread is for discussing out options and plans. Rolls are part of the roleplay, but need to come after you said what your character is doing and established the scene and the risks for the roll. See Don't placeholder (and possibly the rest of that Help! thread:).

Show us, in the RP, what your character is doing, what actions they take, and what their plans are, then roll if needed. We can keep this roll (once you roll we are all committed and there is no going back), so narrate your character's actions when they find the elevator shaft appears clear as far as they can see and perform their magic successfully. Show us what that is like for you.

Describe what happens. What is looks like if anyone can see it, and what it feels like.

• What energies are you channeling through your body and mind as you do this? Describe them.

It's your show. Dazzle us. :)

Moving around is as hard as it was to get from the doors to the elevators. The floor is at 45°, this one might be carpeted in places.

Correct. Might be 'mostly open-plan', I don't know.
Some of the cubicles and such a probably caught on the top side of the elevator shaft, and some may be hanging down the side if that helps you. Feel free to take the details I give you and add to them, like above.
From where you are, hanging out the 'bottom' of the elevator doors, it looks like just office stuff (dividers, computers, printers, copiers, etc) down on the unbroken windows.
You will need to get closer before you can tell much more.
You can only see the half of the building on your side of the elevators. You will need to climb down and out to see more.

You are looking down (I assume the elevator doors faced the entrance, which was 'down'), you can see the light from the windows coming past, but you can't see the 'top side' windows from inside the elevator shaft.

I don't know. It does not matter till it matters.

If you want to define such details, go for it.

Oopsie, I was ignoring the whole half of the building above us!! Art, Fiona you wanna use your fancy gloves move to where you can look skyward? There might be some corner or outer offices you could see in that direction.

Haha "Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe" ! A classic Three Stooges reference. Are the rest form the stooges too?

Catherine Costa Malot is a real French attorney. Dewey Cheatham I got from NPR's Car Talk — I didn't know about the Stooges callback! Yu Am Fook is my own.

I imagine them as a tax advisory law firm, commercial litigators, and white collar criminal defense.

I guess there also could be Nguyen Bigg, a personal injury firm …

Oh I love Car Talk! I miss it…

And I can’t believe that lawyer name is real. I love it!

From up here, Herman can not tell that there are caves, but Arthur and Fiona have both been down in them so they can guess. All any of your characters know for sure is that there are rocks and stuff —similar to those that were seen in the caves— in the building.

The players know that there are caves like before so they can narrate their characters engaging with the landscape without needing to wait.

---

---

They are rocks. You can scramble down on them without climbing gear. It may get dangerous later, but for now you can manage with a little effort.

---

---

For clarity and ease of reading it is better to use punctuation and full sentences, just like in a book. So something like:
'"Oooh rad! Something weird to check out." Herman says sarcastically.'
And, of course that sarcasm is purely for illustrative purposes. :)

Your scanner suggested it did not have the range to find the core from where you were. It was not below, so it must be above.

Ah yes, that makes sense. Thank you.

You rolled a 9, so we can say Fiona works out, correctly, what happened...
• What is the worst possible answer (from the character's point of view), that truth can be the price?

they are at the bottom of a very large atrium, and they simply walked off of ledges and balconies and floors above, and fell to their deaths like lemmings, because they were just trying to get down to the caves and didn’t have the sense to make ropes like the first group did.

I dunno, I'm not worried about describing the building like an architect. We found a bunch of dead bodies -- I was asked what the worst thing I could learn about them after examining them might be, and I came up with the idea that they all did a lemmings thing.

if you'd prefer me to try to stick more closely to a realistic idea of the layout of this building, I can try, but honestly I don't know how good a job I'd do at that, because the limitations of my own knowledge as a player.

An alternative for the worst thing Fiona could discover about these bodies -- they seemed to be fighting each other, either their bare hands.

Below where the windows were are caves, they can easily be deep enough for the fall, and, yes, 'the windows open into another reality'.

Lemmings or in-fighting could both work. Y'all can pick one and I can expand on it tomorrow.

Sorry for the delay, been a busy few days.

You can try that and find out. :)
Sure, you already did a quick 'slather salamander on corpse' [ref], if the actions of the others drag you away you may be able to come back afterwards... no promises, thought.
Aren't we the optimist. :)
Fair assumption.
That's what DnD teaches us. The best 'healing' is 'killing them quick'. :)

And how can one argue with that 12! :)

We will need to see how the others cope without you, then come back to this. Maybe we can see a few steps of your process each time they progress.

You can describe your gear however you want it to be.

There are benefits and detriments to both types of light. Head-mounted lights have a habit of constantly blinding one's companions whenever one looks at them, for instance.
Caves. Rocks and earth. Some had glow-in-the-dark mushrooms, but you have not seen any of those in this one.

You can add and describe any relevant, interesting terrain features as appropriate.
Indeed, it is dark.

I don't recommend you describe your character being eaten by a grue, what you say matters. :)
Feel free to describe such concerns if your character feels them, though.

The Cloud of Woe mainly advances when you take the time to rest [rules], though it can also advance if you roll badly or take time to do other things (like lengthy science experiments). Running after the fight, or having a fight is probably measured in seconds and minutes, the 'clock' is probably not that concerned with things on this sort of timescale.

I just don't want you thinking you have to rush. It is up to you though, the more time you spend on the way up, the less time you have at the top... but the less time you spend learning about the break, the less understanding you have at the top. Play it how you think will be fun.

I know this. Arthur does not.

True. The characters have no way of knowing how long they have.

Feel free to add elements to the scene. Don't contradict what has been said, but if you want something reasonable, you can ask for it, or even just narrate it being there (if there could be a 'chandelier', you can swing from it).
You are surrounded.
You rolled a 4, so you can not 'just' back away, per the terms of the roll [ref]. You could take a moment to assess the situation and possibly find a way to back out the the situation or into the tunnel you came from, but you will have to go through the centipede behind you.
Yes, please use the terrain to your advantage if you can. But remember that they are centipedes and can climb on walls and ceilings, so a tunnel choke-point only really limits them to one direction while having less effect on their number, while possibly preventing you from engaging all at once. It might still be better than being in the middle of their nest, though, depends how you roll.

You doing magic? If what you are trying to achieve with Arcane is at a similar level to something people could do without magic (based on the end-result effect on the world and the scene) then the risk levels are based off the nature of the scene (a fight scene is more risky than a research scene, for instance), though a little weirder. If what you are doing with magic is beyond what could be done through 'normal means', then the scene-based risks are multiplied by the magical-effect-factor.
What are you trying to do, exactly. Remember that long, thin, centipedes are probably better able to squeeze through the bars of a cage better than your human shapes could.

You have hands and opposable thumbs. A lock on a door may be a safer bet, though it does make the construction more complex.

The tunnel you came down was tight at places, so a hamster-ball solution might allow you to move while in your cage, but might not allow you to get all the way away.

A full-on Force Cage spell could allow you to block the enemy from entering while allowing your team time to breath and possibly the ability to attack the centipedes with impunity ending the fight in one go... But the price of such a high level spell would be lethal on a 6-, so it is a Hail Mary play. The price on a 7-9 would be pretty high too.

What do you do?

and, as for the cage door, Herman is hoping to blow that off and nailing the right balance between impeding centipedes and still allowing humans to wriggle out (assuming its real permanent, like the beanstalk). If it is simply created as a "force field" (therefore temporary) it doesn't matter as much assuming we deal with the bugs quickly. I'm not sure Herman's mental model would really be too clear on these distinctions (or mine)

But if I am choosing - its the force field option. and it doesn't really matter until we know that I roll something at least semi-ok. lemagne, over and out.

I don't know. It could work quite well if placed just right or if it is the type that affects them much more than it affects you.
Indeed. A cage they can't get through would amplify any range advantages.
If they can still get in they may be delayed and you can knife/club/boot them 'one at a time'.
And you know what that does!
Probably true. But even if they do go away, that is a win.
A mundane cage is pretty risky, but not a lethal magic backlash. If that's your choice: Roll it.
On a 12+ you can assume you have bought yourselves time to deal with the threat at your leisure. (Though dealing with Arthur's arm may be a higher priority with your free time?)
On a 10+ you have a major advantage and can tackle the problems with only minor risks.
On a 7-9 I think there are gaps, and you need to deal with centipedes getting inside, but the ones outside have a hard time attacking you.
On a 6- ... the situation gets worse, your magic does not do what you want.
I will take your word for it that that is cool. I don't know what that is. :)
Yeah. Deal with that afterwards. If you win you will have some time to solve those sorts of problems... if you lose they will add to your problems, but c'est la vie.
As stated, that will increase your risks. Making a mundane cage is something that could be done by mundane means (though not a quickly, so that part is magic), making something completely magical is completely magical and you should expect out-of-this-world costs on a low roll.

It is up to you.
Well, it does. We need to know before you roll what you are attempting since the outcomes are based on what you are doing. If you are trying something really risky you risk big, if you are trying something simple you can expect to have to pay a minor price on any imperfect dice roll.

We can't decide this after the roll since knowing it is a bad roll should not affect the decision about how much we are risking. We can't place our bets after the outcome is known. :)
That's damn rude. You know that means: "I expect you to respond, but I am not going to listen to what you say"? :)

not intended - just that I kept continuing and I wanted to make clear I was done and you could reply. Is there a better way to do that?

Sorry. It was a joke. I hoped the smiley face would indicate that. Tone is so hard in PbP.

The comment was on the common misinterpretation of radio procedure, I blame Hollywood.

OK will roll in RP.

Here is a sample of wonder twin power

Well done. A 10!

Describe it. It's your cage.

Are you 'taking aim', or are you attacking?

If you are attacking, then describe what you do, how you attack, if you hope to achieve anything special beside just doing damage. Then roll your attack, which is probably +Prowess but the dice used always depend on what you are actually doing in the fiction.
Attacking is a pretty basic move in an RPG, so it follows a generally similar pattern. As the example in the rules [ref] say: "a 10+ means the PC does harm, a 6- means the monster does harm, and a 7-9 means they both do harm", though this is not a toe-to-toe fight, so they might not 'do harm' and might instead 'find a way in' or something (ranged fights are almost always to your advantage).

If you are taking time to 'aim carefully' that could set you up to respond quickly to any change in circumstance, or give you a bonus to an attack, but I am not convinced a roll to aim for a 1+ (on a 10+, or even a 2+ on a 12+) is worth letting the enemy take the lead in dictating the action. Rolling is risky. If you are 'coordinating with your partners' then cool, we can see what they do and slot your action into theirs.

That seemed like the kind of action that would invariably call for a roll, so I went ahead.

Techi, like Arcane, can completely change the way things are, and usually it takes time. If you can finish this 4-segment Clock, you can repel the centipedes, and have a solution (get it?) for them going forward as well.

On a 7-9 the clock ticks once, but you have a complication [ref]. Or you can choose to not tick and avoid (or easily dispatch) the complication.
On a 10+ the clock ticks twice, but you still have a complication, you are in the middle of a fight, after all. You can choose to forego one tick of the clock to avoid (or easily dispatch) the complication.
On a 12+ you tick the clock thrice. Technically the rules above for complications still apply (†).
On a 6- things go wrong and you risk losing the concoction. We will see if something can be done to save it once you have dealt with the immediate danger.

((†) If you have the chance you would be foolish to do anything other than complete the task and repel the bugs.:)

Ok well Fiona is going to become fixated on her science and will likely ignore complications as much as possible. Until she can’t! Lol.

Indeed. Your 12 there is why you can stomp the gritter in one go if Herman holds it still. If not then we will need to roll for damage —though with some bonus for the 'crit'— and hope.
We have gone a bit past there. :)

But, if you can deal with the current crisis, you will have time to administer anti-venoms.

@lemagne I appreciate you following vagueGM's "rules" and posting a follow up instead of editing your previous post. Makes this whole play by post experience a little more human.