Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - Quick Question: Reputation modifiers on something like Secret?

GodBeastX · 12-01-2015, 06:24 AM

I personally feel Secret is a bogus disadvantage.

Take social stigma for being a monster.

To me the negative reputation is cause enough to become "Possible Death". We see in real world how intolerance levels have lead to deaths. Why do you need to flag a negative reputation with possible death?

Going through some very quick head math, all secrets and disadvantages to reveal secrets could easily fit into Negative reputation and help GM work it into a campaign alot easier and just have the person hardly recognized.

A bit of hand-waiving can have the roll to "Recognize" the individual simply be a roll to "Uncover" the secret.

Working example:

I'm a vampire, this would be Social Stigma (Monster), which is -3 reaction, maybe Social Stigma (Dead) in some cases for -4.

If people can't recognize me as a vampire, then you apply the modifier for frequency of recognition. So if it's 7 or less to identify me as a vampire, that's -5 disadvantage which makes way more sense.

Otherwise you have this going on which I have seen exploited to get points back:

A typical easily discernible Vampire is -15 points for monster, which means I risk death every day openly.

Yet someone who has a Secret that they're a vampire, gets -30 points because they MIGHT be lynched instead of the vampire who is ALWAYS lynched? Why do I get more points for something that doesn't always affect me versus someone always affected?

12-01-2015, 06:24 AM	#4
GodBeastX Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Behind You	Re: Quick Question: Reputation modifiers on something like Secret? I personally feel Secret is a bogus disadvantage. Take social stigma for being a monster. To me the negative reputation is cause enough to become "Possible Death". We see in real world how intolerance levels have lead to deaths. Why do you need to flag a negative reputation with possible death? Going through some very quick head math, all secrets and disadvantages to reveal secrets could easily fit into Negative reputation and help GM work it into a campaign alot easier and just have the person hardly recognized. A bit of hand-waiving can have the roll to "Recognize" the individual simply be a roll to "Uncover" the secret. Working example: I'm a vampire, this would be Social Stigma (Monster), which is -3 reaction, maybe Social Stigma (Dead) in some cases for -4. If people can't recognize me as a vampire, then you apply the modifier for frequency of recognition. So if it's 7 or less to identify me as a vampire, that's -5 disadvantage which makes way more sense. Otherwise you have this going on which I have seen exploited to get points back: A typical easily discernible Vampire is -15 points for monster, which means I risk death every day openly. Yet someone who has a Secret that they're a vampire, gets -30 points because they MIGHT be lynched instead of the vampire who is ALWAYS lynched? Why do I get more points for something that doesn't always affect me versus someone always affected?