Examples of will

[jtsmith1287]

Hey, so I realized that after 6 sessions with my group I haven't once made anyone make a will roll. I started reading about it and realized I don't understand how to incorporate it. Could I get a bunch of examples of situations where a player would need to make a will roll, and then what the GM would do in response to a success/failure?

[roguebfl]

Will is basically only used for resisting supernatural attack or activating Extra effort and a few cinematic skills.

See Basic Set Campaigns on p.356 and p. 360

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by jtsmith1287

Hey, so I realized that after 6 sessions with my group I haven't once made anyone make a will roll. I started reading about it and realized I don't understand how to incorporate it. Could I get a bunch of examples of situations where a player would need to make a will roll, and then what the GM would do in response to a success/failure?

You have zero social interaction, zero spooky stuff, zero firefights, zero other mental influence, and nobody ever goes below 0FP? What is the campaign about? Maybe more suitable examples would be easier to post if we knew about it.

[Ulzgoroth]

Will is used for fright checks.

If you're not using, say, Tactical Shooting (to indicate some of the many opportunities for fright checks in combat) and not playing a horror game, you may have very few of those.

The Last Gasp makes a lot of use of Will to keep going under extreme fatigue.

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by jtsmith1287

Hey, so I realized that after 6 sessions with my group I haven't once made anyone make a will roll. I started reading about it and realized I don't understand how to incorporate it. Could I get a bunch of examples of situations where a player would need to make a will roll, and then what the GM would do in response to a success/failure?

Well the section marked "Will Rolls" basic set page 360 has something to say about it!

When you are faced with a stressful situation or a distraction, the GM may require you to roll against your Will to stay focused. On a success, you may act normally. On a failure, you submit to the fear, give in to the pressure, are distracted from your task, etc.
The effects of a failed Will roll in a stressful situation are often identical to those of a failed self-control roll for a mental disadvantage. This does not make Will rolls and self-control rolls interchangeable. Which kind of roll you must make depends on the cause of the stress, not on its effects.

It's used for Fear rolls:

A Fright Check is a Will roll made to resist fear. Fright Checks can occur as often or as rarely as the GM wishes. In a horror campaign where ordinary people meet shockingly gruesome Things, Fright Checks might be very common! With only minor adaptation, the GM can use these rules for awe, confusion, etc. as well as fear.

It's used for resisting influence skills:

When an NPC makes a successful Influence roll against a PC, the GM should apply the NPC’s margin of victory as a bonus or penalty (as appropriate) to the PC’s die rolls when dealing with that NPC. For instance, if a beautiful spy beats the PC’s Will by 3 using Sex Appeal, the hero might suffer -3 on self-controls roll for his Lecherousness and -3 to his Detect Lies skill where that spy is concerned. Be creative!

It's also used when fatigued:

0 FP or less – You are on the verge of collapse. If you suffer further fatigue, each FP you lose also causes 1 HP of injury. Thus, fatigue from starvation, dehydration, etc. will eventually kill you – and you can work yourself to death! To do anything besides talk or rest, you must make a Will roll; in combat, roll before each maneuver other than Do Nothing. On a success, you can act normally. You can use FP to cast spells, etc., and if you are drowning, you can continue to struggle, but you suffer the usual 1 HP per FP lost. On a failure, you collapse, incapacitated, and can do nothing until you recover to positive FP. On a critical failure, make an immediate HT roll. If you fail, you suffer a heart attack; see Mortal Conditions (p. 429).

[Gollum]

Will is also used to resist torture, interrogation, etc.

And you can use it in a lot of other situations... When characters have to do something that would make us hesitate a lot for example...

• Entering a very cold water,
• drinking or eating something that smell bad or that has a terrible taste, like medecine,
• standing pain,
• not eating when you are hungry, not drink when you are thirsty,
• etc.

It's easy to do things when you confortably seat on your chair, like players. It's not so easy when you have to do them for true, like characters. So I usually require a will roll each time I think my players would hesitate if they would have to do an action for themselves instead of just describing it.

[jtsmith1287]

Originally Posted by Gollum

So I usually require a will roll each time I think my players would hesitate if they would have to do an action for themselves instead of just describing it.

Ok, great. This is what I was looking for. What would you do in the case with say, the cold water, or not drinking/eating if they failed the roll? Would you force the player to stay out of the water, and force them to eat it?

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by jtsmith1287

Ok, great. This is what I was looking for. What would you do in the case with say, the cold water, or not drinking/eating if they failed the roll? Would you force the player to stay out of the water, and force them to eat it?

Not unless they critfail. On a regular failure in my games, they just hesitate (ie: Do Nothing) and may try the roll again the following round (but this could be huge if the thing they're trying to do is time-critical).

[Gollum]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

Not unless they critfail. On a regular failure in my games, they just hesitate (ie: Do Nothing) and may try the roll again the following round (but this could be huge if the thing they're trying to do is time-critical).

Yes. This is also what I do. Unless getting a critical failure, such a failed will roll just means that the character hesitate and looses time. Which can be enough long to let a foe flee farer, come closer, etc.

The character must then make another will roll (with a -1 penalty, as for other repeated attempts)... Which is fun during games. It really remains the players that living an adventure is not at all easy! That's why most of us prefer staying home and calling the police rather than running after bad guys!

Also note that, to be fair, I don't hesitate to give bonuses when there is an important motivation. Entering cold water to save the princess who is drowning is worth a +4 (at least!) for any knight. Either is drinking a distasting syrup when it helps healing from a dangerous illness.

[starslayer]

Also an important one that has come up in my games: Not vomiting.

It seems so minor, but really unless the PC has taken 'indomitable' there are a LOT of things that should turn ones stomach.

Found a 3 week old murder, by stepping in it, barefoot. Will -10 roll, everyone else will -5 roll.

Just watched some sort of 'beyond the veil' monster eat someone will -5 roll.

In your first firefight will roll.

Have to kill someone in cold blood? Will roll.

Killed someone- will roll to prevent nightmares and throwing up.

Other times for will rolls.

Stubbed your toe while sneaking around- will roll not to cry out.

Trying to resist a seduction attempt: will roll.

Basically will rolls are the go to save. Even burly flesh tanks with IQ 7 should buy up there will so that they aren't quivering piles of useless when the going gets tough.