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Old 10-28-2023, 02:10 PM   #1
timm meyers
 
Join Date: May 2020
Default Using Personality Traits

Following the quick Character Generation suggestions on character traits (P.14 ITL) players are given the option to pick any number of “personality traits” and assign their value of 2 – 12.

These aspects of your PC’s personality are a great aid for roleplaying. They are used by both player and GM as guidelines to help form realistic behavior and reactions specific for the character. The assigned factors could also allow us to interact with these concepts of personality within a rules framework.
These values being based on a 2d6 range of numbers breaks the 3d6 basic test formula and become hard to use. The following are some thoughts on how to make better use of these factored traits.

Anytime a PC or GM encounters a situation where a defined character trait comes into question, they may choose to test against the values by rolling 3d-3 dice.
The PC must roll their character trait value or less with the adjusted result or fail the test. Thus, the trait with a value of 7 = very average, means they need to roll 10 or less (roughly a 50% chance) to pass. The trait with a low 2 value must roll a 5 or less (4.6%) and the high 12 value needs a roll of 15 or less (95%).

Minor fail: missed by 1 or 2 points = The PC has a minor reaction based on the trait tested. The controlling player gets to choose how the trait manifests and the GM should award experience points for honest and creative effects/reactions.

Moderate Fail: missed by 3 to 5 points = The PC’s character trait has manifested in a poor and obvious way based on the circumstances. The player and or GM must choose a course of action or action for the PC that would create a negative effect on the situation. (note sometimes depending on the trait and or action this failed rolled might produce perceived positive results)

Major Fail: missed by 6 or more points = The GM decides the most appropriate and realistic utter failure that the trait would manifest in the situation.

Example- The PC has a “Bravery” value of 7= Very much the average or middle of the road. The PC is not predisposed to hiding or fleeing from danger (that would be a value of 2) nor are they inclined to jump into action at the first sign of trouble (a value of 12).
The GM or player could choose to test the PC’s bravery in any number of situations from wanting to charge into battle to having the courage to approach the princess for a date.
A roll of 4 or less would mean the PC utterly failed at being “Brave”. (soiled clothes and running away?)
A roll of 5 to 7 is a loss of courage but the actionable result must be agreeable to both player and GM. (lets back off/retreat?)
A roll of 8-9 is just barely failing to be brave so the player must modify their desired actions or reactions. (wait for someone else to step up, move behind another PC for better protection?)
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Old 10-28-2023, 05:40 PM   #2
Shostak
 
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Default Re: Using Personality Traits

This seems workable, though slightly skewed toward favorable outcomes, since the outcome range is 0-15 against traits ranging 2-12.

It would be nice to see some of the other mechanics tweaked. The social reaction rolls being made on 1d6, for instance, are about as unpredictable as it gets.
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Old 10-29-2023, 08:41 AM   #3
hcobb
 
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Default Re: Using Personality Traits

PCs already get bonuses and reduction in XP for playing towards their traits without any forcing of their actions.
As a GM I'd rather let them gain plothooks through traits off-screen. For example the party alcoholic notices that there's a new brand of cheap wine that's flooding the market.
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Old 10-29-2023, 09:02 AM   #4
Shostak
 
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Default Re: Using Personality Traits

I think the point is that these traits can guide a player who, due to being more of a power gamer than a story gamer, might otherwise tend toward having all of their characters act more or less the same.
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Old 10-29-2023, 10:32 AM   #5
timm meyers
 
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Default Re: Using Personality Traits

Quote:
Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
PCs already get bonuses and reduction in XP for playing towards their traits without any forcing of their actions.
As a GM I'd rather let them gain plothooks through traits off-screen. For example the party alcoholic notices that there's a new brand of cheap wine that's flooding the market.
Please expand on these bonuses? Do you mean a good GM will reward xp to players who 1. choose to quantify character traits as suggested on p.14. 2. what "bonuses" do you assign to character traits?

I like a good GM who can really pay attention to all PCs quirks and player motives by including what you suggested as story hooks. What I am exploring is there other ways to codify some processes that encourage good role playing in both players and GM?
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Old 12-05-2023, 01:27 AM   #6
David Bofinger
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
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Default Re: Using Personality Traits

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shostak View Post
The social reaction rolls being made on 1d6 [...] are about as unpredictable as it gets.
I think that might be intentional. When you encounter a band of humanoids you often have no idea what sort of person they are, whether they hate all foreigners including you or love meeting new people or whatever. So a good degree of randomness in the reaction makes sense.

Henry has pointed out that even in RAW a character built to maximise reaction modifiers (Charisma, Bard, halfling, etc.) will get positive reactions nearly always, and is overpowered if the GM believes in making such rolls frequently.
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Old 12-05-2023, 01:48 AM   #7
David Bofinger
 
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Default Re: Using Personality Traits

I think it's a mistake to see large numbers as good. A high bravery score might make it hard to run away, a high honesty score might make it hard to deceive someone, high friendliness might leave you vulnerable to exploitation by cynical halflings, etc. The trait is supposed to push you toward one option and away from others.

The odd one out of the personality traits is attractiveness: it's about how people react to you, whereas all the others (Bravery, Honesty, Friendliness, Mood) are about how you react to other people. And high attractiveness generally is a good thing for a character.
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Old 12-05-2023, 07:08 AM   #8
Bill_in_IN
 
Join Date: Dec 2021
Location: Indiana
Default Re: Using Personality Traits

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Bofinger View Post
I think it's a mistake to see large numbers as good. A high bravery score might make it hard to run away, a high honesty score might make it hard to deceive someone, high friendliness might leave you vulnerable to exploitation by cynical halflings, etc. The trait is supposed to push you toward one option and away from others.

The odd one out of the personality traits is attractiveness: it's about how people react to you, whereas all the others (Bravery, Honesty, Friendliness, Mood) are about how you react to other people. And high attractiveness generally is a good thing for a character.
For the most part, I leave reaction of PCs up to the player. If they do something way out of the established character, I may say something to the player so that they are aware of a potential external perception of their actions. How would the NPCs react to their actions? Other than that, it the players call.

So far in my game, PCs haven't gone for the reaction roll modifying talents so, I will admit that I haven't had to deal with it much.

I do rely on reaction rolls for NPCs quite regularly. So, regardless of PC talents/abilities, there some modifiers imposed by the situation. If two groups meet up and they instantly don't trust each other, the reactions will be modified accordingly. Based upon the way that I roll, the PCs get into lots of fights. The reactions are usually one extreme or the other.

If you have a character that has a +3 reaction modifier but they are traveling with a group that doesn't have such an advantage, Their positive modifier gets reduced.

I don't have a problem with reaction rolls at all. They are a great way to add randomness to an adventure. However, on a 1D6, a + or - 1 is an ~16% shift shift in the outcome is quite powerful. If the PCs spend the XP to get those modifiers, so be it. It's not that much different than spending XP to get more DX other than the impact per point on success is less due it being a 3D6 roll.

Last edited by Bill_in_IN; 12-05-2023 at 07:11 AM.
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Old 01-09-2024, 01:04 PM   #9
Nils_Lindeberg
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Default Re: Using Personality Traits

I would rather see traits come in pairs that can be good or bad.

So if you have Cautious/Cowardly vs. Brave/Overconfident, then you might have to roll both high or low depending on what is being tested. So when you want to do something brave you need to roll under, and when you want to be extra cautious you need to roll high.

The same could go for generous/frivolous vs. Miserly/Prudent
So when a beggar ask for money you might have to roll high or you give away more than you wanted, and if you want to help a friend or bribe a guard you might have to roll low to not say no or give them too little.

Shy/Discreet vs. Charming/Attentionseeking.

Sensitive/Overly Sensitive vs. Coldhearted/Logical

This way there is no optimal value, just a choice between two good things or two bad things depending on how you look at it.

Maybe not super easy to implement or find good personality pairs, but I think they would be used more.
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Old 01-09-2024, 03:18 PM   #10
timm meyers
 
Join Date: May 2020
Default Re: Using Personality Traits

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nils_Lindeberg View Post
I would rather see traits come in pairs that can be good or bad.

So if you have Cautious/Cowardly vs. Brave/Overconfident, then you might have to roll both high or low depending on what is being tested. So when you want to do something brave you need to roll under, and when you want to be extra cautious you need to roll high.

The same could go for generous/frivolous vs. Miserly/Prudent
So when a beggar ask for money you might have to roll high or you give away more than you wanted, and if you want to help a friend or bribe a guard you might have to roll low to not say no or give them too little.

Shy/Discreet vs. Charming/Attentionseeking.

Sensitive/Overly Sensitive vs. Coldhearted/Logical

This way there is no optimal value, just a choice between two good things or two bad things depending on how you look at it.

Maybe not super easy to implement or find good personality pairs, but I think they would be used more.
I like the idea of these "flip-side" traits. I think many traits can or could be interpreted with a single topic/metric such as "generous" you roll under, and you give away something but when you roll over or miss you withhold the donation and are in essence being miserly?kinda?maybe?
Character traits are definitely squishy to interpret. Either way the more traits listed the more interesting the character (barring giving 7's etc.).

The best result from your suggestion I think, is just encouraging a player who chooses to portray a 10 factor "Bravery" to then list a qualifying trait like "cautiousness" to better define themselves.

Now how often we need to use these factors is up to the player and GM. They should be far and in-between if the player is a good role player. The session zero discussion of who the character is might be the only time for most traits?
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