Nov 26, 2016 9:54 pm
SECRET DICE ROLLS
I do secret dice rolls for some checks because it just makes sense. To reflect the fact that more skilled characters are more likely to be successful, in a group setting secret rolls start with the most capable and go down the list to the least capable, until someone succeeds, if someone does at all. So, in other words, the character with the highest Discipline is most likely to spot a lie in the group setting. If all the characters are working as a team to comb the crime scene for clues, the character with the highest Perception is most likely to find them (Holmes, not Watson or the beat cop who found the body).
When it comes to passive skill checks like Vigilance, I won't forget to check for you, but you're always welcome and even encouraged to remind me to do so in OOC notes at the bottom of your posts. You should, given the nature of the game and your GM, do everything you can to facilitate your success and survival. Regarding such passive checks, when they are lying to you (detected via Discipline), or some sniper is skulking about on a roof (spotted with Vigilance), you'll have the chance catch the lie or notice them. I'll be well aware of their efforts in whatever their endeavors are, and will make the necessary checks for you and/or your group.
SKILLS
A note on 'passive' use of skills: passive means that it's 'always on' and you won't have to actively use that skill for specific purposes (e.g., Discipline for spotting a lie, Vigilance to spot a threat at the last minute
Deception: You wouldn't necessarily always know if your lie was successful, especially if someone was playing along, with their own agenda.
Discipline (for detecting lies, passive): You shouldn't know if your roll to detect a lie was a success or not. Also, this prevents players from constantly rolling to detect lies (which happens sooner or later). I know who is lying to who, so I know when to roll.
Perception (actively looking for details): The dice can give away too much, again. You should be unsure of whether or not that alley ahead is safe to move through.
Stealth (actively avoid detection): This one I've been rolling for players for a long time, since I was a kid. You should never, ever know how successful your attempt to be sneaky was. Common sense.
Vigilance (passive): You shouldn't have to walk around and say "I'm being Vigilant." It's a passive skill. I'll roll for your Vigilance as a means of allowing you to notice something with it, typically something threatening or associated with potential danger. Remember, Vigilance doesn't give details like Perception (which is actively looking for details), and is typically used for noticing less minute details. For example, Vigilance would be useful for noticing someone seeming out of place on top of a building a block away (what's that guy doing up there?). Perception would allow for zooming in, so to speak, and picking out the details suggesting he is a sniper (that looks like a gun!).
FORCE POWERS
A little different than skill checks due to Force Rating.
The force powers below aren't passive, so I won't make random checks for you, even though I may occasionally do so for those who are extremely capable in some type of power (e.g., your Foresee tree is filled and you have a Force Rating of 4; you start having visions of the future while you sleep).
For those powers listed below, you'll only roll the Force Dice as determined by your rating. You're rolling the force dice as it's sensible that your characters can feel the force and whether or not you're successfully tapping into it. After that, I'll take care of the rest.
Foresee (non-combat): Your Force Rating dice roll and a Perception or Astrogation check by me. Here, Astrogation is an option inspired by how the Consular Sage uses it for meditating (evoking Yoda accessing the future via meditation), and is plausible as the user is navigating the future via the force. They aren't necessarily searching for something, and could simply be allowing the currents of the force to guide them toward a possible future.
Misdirect: Your Force Rating dice roll and a Deception check by me. Similar to Stealth, you can't be certain that your attempt will render you invisible, or that your attempt will successfully create the illusion you're going for. For creating illusions, a big part of the difficulty for the check will be how believable the illusion is. For example, when trying to distract an Imperial storm trooper, the illusion of a human hopping over the fence will be far more likely to work than trying to make the him think that a huge rancor is forcing it's way through the fence. The plausibility of the desired illusion(and, by association, your creativity) lends itself to increased chances of success.
Seek: Your Force Rating dice roll and a Perception check by me because you're actively searching, which is within the domain of Perception. You're looking for details, something specific.
Sense: Your Force Rating dice roll and a Perception check by me (Perception because you're actively searching, which is within the domain of Perception). You're actively trying to 'see' everything you can, so Perception is used here.
For those that like rolling dice, I'm a player too, so I understand if you'll miss making some of those rolls. At the same time, I hope you can appreciate that my approach just makes sense, and adds a little more mystery and intrigue to the game, as it very well should in the above situations. Altogether, it helps bring a little bit of that edge and some realism to the game as well.
I do secret dice rolls for some checks because it just makes sense. To reflect the fact that more skilled characters are more likely to be successful, in a group setting secret rolls start with the most capable and go down the list to the least capable, until someone succeeds, if someone does at all. So, in other words, the character with the highest Discipline is most likely to spot a lie in the group setting. If all the characters are working as a team to comb the crime scene for clues, the character with the highest Perception is most likely to find them (Holmes, not Watson or the beat cop who found the body).
When it comes to passive skill checks like Vigilance, I won't forget to check for you, but you're always welcome and even encouraged to remind me to do so in OOC notes at the bottom of your posts. You should, given the nature of the game and your GM, do everything you can to facilitate your success and survival. Regarding such passive checks, when they are lying to you (detected via Discipline), or some sniper is skulking about on a roof (spotted with Vigilance), you'll have the chance catch the lie or notice them. I'll be well aware of their efforts in whatever their endeavors are, and will make the necessary checks for you and/or your group.
SKILLS
A note on 'passive' use of skills: passive means that it's 'always on' and you won't have to actively use that skill for specific purposes (e.g., Discipline for spotting a lie, Vigilance to spot a threat at the last minute
Deception: You wouldn't necessarily always know if your lie was successful, especially if someone was playing along, with their own agenda.
Discipline (for detecting lies, passive): You shouldn't know if your roll to detect a lie was a success or not. Also, this prevents players from constantly rolling to detect lies (which happens sooner or later). I know who is lying to who, so I know when to roll.
Perception (actively looking for details): The dice can give away too much, again. You should be unsure of whether or not that alley ahead is safe to move through.
Stealth (actively avoid detection): This one I've been rolling for players for a long time, since I was a kid. You should never, ever know how successful your attempt to be sneaky was. Common sense.
Vigilance (passive): You shouldn't have to walk around and say "I'm being Vigilant." It's a passive skill. I'll roll for your Vigilance as a means of allowing you to notice something with it, typically something threatening or associated with potential danger. Remember, Vigilance doesn't give details like Perception (which is actively looking for details), and is typically used for noticing less minute details. For example, Vigilance would be useful for noticing someone seeming out of place on top of a building a block away (what's that guy doing up there?). Perception would allow for zooming in, so to speak, and picking out the details suggesting he is a sniper (that looks like a gun!).
FORCE POWERS
A little different than skill checks due to Force Rating.
The force powers below aren't passive, so I won't make random checks for you, even though I may occasionally do so for those who are extremely capable in some type of power (e.g., your Foresee tree is filled and you have a Force Rating of 4; you start having visions of the future while you sleep).
For those powers listed below, you'll only roll the Force Dice as determined by your rating. You're rolling the force dice as it's sensible that your characters can feel the force and whether or not you're successfully tapping into it. After that, I'll take care of the rest.
Foresee (non-combat): Your Force Rating dice roll and a Perception or Astrogation check by me. Here, Astrogation is an option inspired by how the Consular Sage uses it for meditating (evoking Yoda accessing the future via meditation), and is plausible as the user is navigating the future via the force. They aren't necessarily searching for something, and could simply be allowing the currents of the force to guide them toward a possible future.
Misdirect: Your Force Rating dice roll and a Deception check by me. Similar to Stealth, you can't be certain that your attempt will render you invisible, or that your attempt will successfully create the illusion you're going for. For creating illusions, a big part of the difficulty for the check will be how believable the illusion is. For example, when trying to distract an Imperial storm trooper, the illusion of a human hopping over the fence will be far more likely to work than trying to make the him think that a huge rancor is forcing it's way through the fence. The plausibility of the desired illusion(and, by association, your creativity) lends itself to increased chances of success.
Seek: Your Force Rating dice roll and a Perception check by me because you're actively searching, which is within the domain of Perception. You're looking for details, something specific.
Sense: Your Force Rating dice roll and a Perception check by me (Perception because you're actively searching, which is within the domain of Perception). You're actively trying to 'see' everything you can, so Perception is used here.
For those that like rolling dice, I'm a player too, so I understand if you'll miss making some of those rolls. At the same time, I hope you can appreciate that my approach just makes sense, and adds a little more mystery and intrigue to the game, as it very well should in the above situations. Altogether, it helps bring a little bit of that edge and some realism to the game as well.