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Old 10-23-2011, 06:58 PM   #1
lachimba
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
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Default how useful is Luck?

I know it is a useful advantage and apparently doesn't get taken nearly as much as other equally priced, but less useful advantages.


What is the actual mathematical utility of it though, given that you get the best of 3 every x minutes; versus either extra stats, skills or alternate advantages.


I guess it depends on how often you roll every X minutes menaing it is more useful if you can avoid rolling as much as possible.


Someone with better probability maths than me?
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Old 10-23-2011, 07:15 PM   #2
mhd
 
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Default Re: how useful is Luck?

One important factor of Luck is preventing disasters, i.e. rerolling Critical Misses or Hits (from your enemy). No amount of skill will save you from that (well, at least 3,4 critmisses), whereas there's a pretty high chance that the reroll won't be that bad.
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Old 10-23-2011, 07:19 PM   #3
Fred Brackin
 
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Default Re: how useful is Luck?

Quote:
Originally Posted by mhd View Post
One important factor of Luck is preventing disasters, i.e. rerolling Critical Misses or Hits (from your enemy). No amount of skill will save you from that (well, at least 3,4 critmisses), whereas there's a pretty high chance that the reroll won't be that bad.
Yes. This.

Luck will let you re-roll your Crit Failures and your enemy's Crit Successes. The only reason not to take Luck is that you plan on a campaign or character style that has few combat or extreme physical peril situations i.e. you're not worried about dying because the dice turn against you.
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Old 10-23-2011, 07:29 PM   #4
mlangsdorf
 
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Default Re: how useful is Luck?

My online game (which probably plays a bit slow but not worse than 1/4 speed I'd guess) used to have ~200 rolls/hour of all types per hour in heavy combat sessions. I'd guess about nearly half of those were made by one of the 6 PCs. If the 1/4 speed estimate is right, it's pretty reasonable to expect you'll be making 50+ rolls per hour in an intense session - you'll probably want to reroll one of those, either a minimum damage roll or a critical failure on something important.

In less intense games, it may matter a lot less. I've had sessions where the PCs rolled the dice a total of 20 times, and then Luck is obviously worth a bit less.
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Old 10-23-2011, 07:45 PM   #5
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Default Re: how useful is Luck?

Quote:
Originally Posted by mlangsdorf View Post
In less intense games, it may matter a lot less. I've had sessions where the PCs rolled the dice a total of 20 times, and then Luck is obviously worth a bit less.
I feel the opposite.

The highest utility for luck is 1 roll every 15 mins (that is how often you can use it if IIRC)

The lowest is infinite rolls every 15 mins because it can be used exactly once.


That siad I haven't calcualted the odds of a getting a beneifical roll for the reroll, but it should be pretty high right.

Somthing like better than 80% chance of rolling under 10 probably.

Equally trying to reroll a disaster is probably somehting like another 99%+ chance of getting a better roll. Which is impossible to get through any other stat in GURPS.
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Old 10-23-2011, 07:53 PM   #6
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Default Re: how useful is Luck?

Also Luck is not limited to combat utility.

I am playing a swashbuckler/adventurer/thief/spy/sailor type.

We run a campaign with a fair bit of social/non combat action.

Combat map comes out about every 3 runs or so.

My Luck helps me in fights.

It helps me keep from putting our ship onto a reef. (I am the Capt).

It helps me make money when I am Factoring off goods (a number of us have Merchant...my speciality is Armor/Weapons...so I am the go to guy for lootz)

It keeps me from making social faux pas...

I do not use it quite once an hour (tend to save it as critical fail insurance) but if I am fairly certain that we will not see action real soon I can use it to maximize return on a big trade...or knock a couple of days off of a long sea voyage.

For 15 points it really cant be beat IMHO.

Only Combat Reflexes comes close...but CBT Reflexes only will help in combat!!
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Old 10-23-2011, 08:00 PM   #7
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Default Re: how useful is Luck?

Also: There's only one chance for a first impression. Unless you're Lucky.

Apart from the worst effects of combat, reaction rolls are probably my favorite use of Luck. Even worth buying it just Aspected for that.
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Old 10-23-2011, 08:09 PM   #8
Kromm
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Default Re: how useful is Luck?

"Number of rolls/hour in our gaming group" is a complete red herring for baseline Luck [15]. Players who buy this for their PCs hold onto their Luck to "snipe" vital rerolls. If the rolls are truly vital, then even the cheapest level of Luck is close to priceless – arguably, it's the best 15 points you could spend. Frequency of rolls does matter for higher levels of Luck, of course. I wouldn't counsel going for Extraordinary Luck or Ridiculous Luck outside of a campaign with lots of rolling.
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Old 10-23-2011, 08:38 PM   #9
PK
 
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Default Re: how useful is Luck?

Rolling the dice three times and taking the best result is approximately the equivalent of getting a +3 bonus, probability-wise. (This is a huge oversimplification, but good enough for eyeballing.) There's no real way to factor in the "and I can do it retroactively" bit, though, and that's the real utility of Luck.
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Old 10-23-2011, 08:50 PM   #10
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Default Re: how useful is Luck?

Number of rolls per hour is a red herring, yeah - but amount of CP you gain per session and number of uses of Luck per session put together give a good estimation of how useful Luck would be, since Luck does roughly the same thing as buying success with CP.

Basically, if there's one roll you'd like to reroll (or buy success/failure) every session, then Luck is probably worth it. If there's more than one, it's definitely worth it. If there's fewer than one, then you might be better served by either just buying success when it comes up or taking one of the Destiny variants from MH.
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