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Old 04-13-2011, 05:57 AM   #1
Phex
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Default Critical Failures of Fright Checks

What happens when a critical failure occurs during roll vs. will in a fright check? I cant find any explanation in the Basic rules, are there really no special effects like for example a bonus on the fright check table?

If there is no official statement, how do you (or how would you) houserule that?

regards,
Phex

Last edited by Phex; 04-14-2011 at 03:32 PM.
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Old 04-13-2011, 06:10 AM   #2
vierasmarius
 
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Default Re: Critical Failures of Fright Checks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phex View Post
What happens when a critical failure occurs during roll vs. will in a fright check? I cant find any explanation in the Basic rules, are there really no special effects like for example a bonus on the fright check table?

If there is no official statement, how do (or how would you) houserule that?

regards,
Phex
The consequences of a failed Fright Check are based on margin of failure. A critical failure (roll of 17 or 18) has no additional effect beyond being just about the biggest margin of failure possible. For example a Will 10 subject making an unmodified Fright Check would have a margin of failure of 7 if he rolls 17, which influences the following roll to determine the actual consequence of the failure.
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Old 04-13-2011, 06:15 AM   #3
johndallman
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Default Re: Critical Failures of Fright Checks

It looks like "GM's call." By default, I'd just roll the effect and apply the penalties unmercifully, but there are plenty of things that could be apropriate: roll 2 or 3 times and take the worst would be a possibility. However, you don't want the player to feel you're deliberately persecuting his character.
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Old 04-14-2011, 01:57 AM   #4
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Default Re: Critical Failures of Fright Checks

I assume that Fright Check has its own special result mechanic and doesn't have a normal critical effect and just shares "automatic failure". The chart B361 chart I takes the bad / good dice rolling into account and the often hugely arbitrary modifiers (by this I mean we can all agree that a range penalty for a weapon is in a table, we knew when we chose our weapon what the range penalty was etc. Where what the fright check for a xyz scary thing is that jumps out at us, and the gore factor of the scene are sort of mixed/fluid at times and vary greatly)

Also there will often be critical failures if you used the critical failure system (bonus failure because of the ranging) since your often taking more than -10 but not more than -20 to Fright Checks).

There just isn't another mechanic like this.

So the mildest failure max Will [13] and a '14' is rolled and a 3 is rolled for the effects table with a result of [4] is tame. While a Will [6] modified to [-10] by the environment with a roll of 10 has a failure of 20. Then a roll on the chart of 10 gives a 30 effect, stare off into space for 1d days ... that critical enough for me.
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Old 04-14-2011, 10:09 AM   #5
Kromm
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Default Re: Critical Failures of Fright Checks

Rolls with margins just about never care about "critical" anything. GURPS uses two metrics to assess the quality of outcomes of success rolls:
  1. Qualitative. This is the critical failure-failure-success-critical success scale.
  2. Quantitative. This is the margin-of-failure/margin-of-success scale.
Fright Checks use the second. There are a rare few rules that try to use both, usually in the specific context of Quick Contests ("If you win . . . If you lose . . . Regardless, if you/your target critically succeeds/fails . . ."). But in general, the two coexist on an either/or basis.
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Old 04-14-2011, 10:17 AM   #6
Kromm
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Default Re: Critical Failures of Fright Checks

Also note that 17-18 (critical failure) against average Will 10 is failure by 7-8. The ensuing roll of 3d will average 10-11. Looking at that range (17-19), we have dead faints in the face of what's likely immediate danger. I'd say that's plenty bad. Heroic PCs with their Will capped at 13 won't experience that often, but then they're heroic PCs, not ordinary folks, and not expected to swoon at danger.
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Old 04-14-2011, 03:34 PM   #7
Phex
 
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Default Re: Critical Failures of Fright Checks

Thank you all for your elaborated statements!
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