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Old 10-20-2021, 09:08 PM   #1
JohnPaulB
 
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Location: Portland, Maine
Default Game Mechanic: half a point in damage OR the Blue Die Special

Here is a game mechanic that I came up with that can give a slight benefit to a roll. I haven't tried it on anything yet, just thought it might be useful.

Damage
Say your character comes up with a new sword technique that squeezes just a little more damage out of a rapier, so instead of 1d, it becomes 1d+½. That ½ has a 50% chance of doing an additional 1 point of damage.

You roll your regular damage roll of 1 die, while rolling an additional blue die. If the blue die is 4 to 6, then that additional point of damage happens.
Example: Joe and Sam are fighting. Joe, using his new technique, hits Sam. He rolls damage, but fails on the blue die. Joe's technique might still be good, but he didn't quite twist enough and doesn't improve anything. Next swing, Joe hits and the blue die succeeds. Joe notices a bit more of a bite in the wounding.

Dex
Lets say that new sword technique allows for just a bit more accuracy, so instead of rolling 3d6 vs. Dex to see if you hit, you would roll 3d6- ½ point. That ½ point has a 50% chance reducing that Dex roll by 1.

You roll your regular 3d6 Dex roll, while rolling an additional blue die. If the blue die is 4 to 6, then your Dex roll is reduced by one: a blue dot success would make a roll of 13 become a roll of 12.
Example: Joe and Sam are fighting. Sam, using a new technique, swings at Joe. He rolls to hit, but fails on the blue die. Sam's technique might still be good, but he didn't quite find the right oomph. Next swing, Sam swings and the blue die succeeds. Sam notices a bit more accuracy in his technique.

Skill Check
Lets say that Joe is on guard duty tonight. He doesn’t have the Alertness Talent, but wants to be extra alert. So he drinks lots of coffee. This gives him ½ a point for any alertness check for the next three hours. So instead of rolling 3d6 vs. IQ to see if he succeeded in noticing something, he would roll 3d6- ½ point. That ½ point has a 50% chance of reducing that IQ roll by 1.

Joe rolls his regular 3d6 IQ roll, rolling an additional blue die. If the blue die is 4 to 6, then the coffee has helped him a bit and his IQ roll is reduced by one: a roll of 13 becomes a roll of 12.

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Do a 4d6 roll instead of a 3d6 roll, with one die being blue. There is a chance that there will be a slight benefit depending on how the blue die turns up.

For a benefit that can occur half the time, the blue die threshold is:
  • 1 to 3..........no change
  • 4 to 6..........change (this could be a +1 benefit like +1 dam or +1 dex)
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When would you use this kind of roll?
  • When something is unreliable.
  • When something is slightly better than normal, but not enough to make it a whole point worth.
  • Added to a partially learned skill test, when full benefit of skill has not been achieved.
  • When wedging in a new weapon on the weapon table, in order to differentiate it from the weapon above it.
  • When differentiating a different breed of dog bite.


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The effect of the blue die could even become variable:
  • 1 to 4..........no change
  • 5 to 6..........change

This gives a slightly worse chance to gain that extra benefit.
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Old 10-21-2021, 06:01 AM   #2
Shostak
 
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Default Re: Game Mechanic: half a point in damage OR the Blue Die Special

For those who love using different dice, this is what the hexagona d2 is for.
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Old 10-21-2021, 08:46 AM   #3
hcobb
 
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Default Re: Game Mechanic: half a point in damage OR the Blue Die Special

You can also advance a half point of damage by adding one die and subtracting three points. Several weapon choices in the game are a half point on average off.
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Old 10-22-2021, 07:22 PM   #4
Jack O'All Trades
 
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Default Re: Game Mechanic: half a point in damage OR the Blue Die Special

This seems like a good way to increase granularity. Some might find sorting their dice or needing to read the dice differently as a bit too difficult, generally I believe if you aren't increasing the number of rolls, people will adapt.

As Hcobb alludes to in reverse, one could use this technique (or any other that applies half points of damage, up to and including literal half points of damage applied!) to rebalance weapons slightly if one feels it necessary. The most obvious case of this is the ST 11 Small Axe averaging half a point of damage less than the other one handed axe/mace/sword ST 11 weapons. Some say this (and lower maximum damage) is a fair trade off for other features (throwing, cost, weight, higher minimum damage), of course.
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