tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436797024696330837.post1744551919675869272..comments2024-03-21T16:11:13.842-07:00Comments on Ten Foot Polemic: 1d100 Retroactive BackstoryJames Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01728054107958411289noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436797024696330837.post-32792931666579985662023-02-28T07:41:01.510-08:002023-02-28T07:41:01.510-08:00Fair points!
For context, my games have a sort of...Fair points!<br /><br />For context, my games have a sort of soft level cap at L6 and there tends to be a fair amount of character turnover, so I've never had to worry about level 12 characters having too much backstory!<br />I like the idea of the older powers "wearing off" as characters gain levels though, that's a great idea and means I can keep track easier! Maybe you keep the stat/skill gains, but only keep the most recent one or two of the wordier ones?<br /><br />The balance question doesn't really matter to me, because making it random means that you can't min/max. If you're willing to rebalance it though I'd definitely use it with your permission though!<br /><br />Benefit/penalty is a great idea that I use for magic items, making the more powerful abilities have an appropriate downside would work pretty well I think.<br /><br />In any case, thanks for the thoughts! This version is obviously over half a decade old by now, so it could definitely use a bit of sprucing up!James Younghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01728054107958411289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436797024696330837.post-43439094429446244902023-02-02T23:11:40.196-08:002023-02-02T23:11:40.196-08:00I think the idea is superbly cool. However, I see ...I think the idea is superbly cool. However, I see 3 problems:<br /><br />#1 Getting one such effect every level seems like too many. Say campaign is now level 12, a new PC has to roll 12 times getting 12 benefits? Relatively easy to fix, though: adjust the total amount obtained only at some specific levels (ideally levels where the character otherwise doesn't gain much stuff anyway from his class). Heck even at only level 6, havving 6 of those feells like a lot. Another way would be to have the PC keep only the last 2 or 3 effects that were rolled on the table. All previous results remain but only as flavor, and have no further game effect. Rationale being that the PC "has finally grown out of them or got used to them". That's like if you make a superb meal you're super excited to share it and enjoy it, but after making the same recipe 30 times for your friends that kinda wears off a bit and it becomes just something ordinary, not a special morale and social megaboost. So having a level range for an historic effect to exist is ok: It is no less or no more logical toi lose some, than "suddenly gaining" a new retroactive history effect that "suddenly just started" to give you an effect right now, but somehow magically didn't do zilch when the PC was in his previous levels.<br /><br />#2 Now a much bigger problem: Personally I am all for fairness and balance.I have no problem with a player getting some short-lasting benefit over another player. But stuff that tends to lasts all campaign long? Then things have better be as fair as possible. This is main reason why I prefer fixed array stats instead of the classic: "You roll your stats and if you roll crap then you either ask to be allowed to reroll, or else just kill off your own PC quick to roll a new probably better one thus on average you will end up with a PC that breaks the overall game balance". I've seen some players literally surviding their PC, then "rolling the next one" several times per game, changing only the character's name, until they got lucky after a few games and eventually rolled a god-PC. Which proceeded to then just tend to glory-hog the whole show (without even trying to).<br /><br />So my problem here is that a lot of these bonuses are either super-useful-in-many-encounters-nearly-all-the-time, while others are super circumstantial. Think about it this way: if players could CHOOSE their roll, would there be " must havers" and "trap" options? Yes, which means the6y all have to be rebalanced to give more or less more equal effects.<br /><br />#3 - Each of the two choices should lead to BOTH a bonus *and an equivalent* penalty. It's to color the charaqcter and make it more 3D, it should *not* be a source of power-ups. Think about it like this: the game is relatively balanced around PCs facing some X amount of challenges and getting Y amount of XPs, progressing at some valid rate. If you give everybody in the party (I'm exagerating here) say +6 to all rolls, obviously those PCs aqre not able to very easily defeat challenges way beyond their level, allowing them to level up even faster.<br /><br />But for a 1st draft this table is a quite nice idea.Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16360781839139224784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436797024696330837.post-30817943295612129302021-02-22T14:00:26.601-08:002021-02-22T14:00:26.601-08:00Hi, thanks that's a great idea to link the bac...Hi, thanks that's a great idea to link the backstory snippet with an attribute or stat modification, to translate the background into a game-effect.The lost bayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09953697314913590498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436797024696330837.post-12003529830988085772019-07-16T02:00:02.453-07:002019-07-16T02:00:02.453-07:00This is great! Is it ok if I link it in the main b...This is great! Is it ok if I link it in the main blog?James Younghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01728054107958411289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436797024696330837.post-13806627590953987972019-07-08T12:17:26.216-07:002019-07-08T12:17:26.216-07:00Okay, here's the version I edited of this for ...Okay, here's the version I edited of this for Labyrinth Lord: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kTTX5wRl-7Hnoyf_zjMEWW4TY01crIDKVTo0WBTlQAw/edit?usp=sharing (references to negative hit points are for Hack & Slash's On A Table For Avoiding Death, haven't tried the carousing stuff yet.)Ariviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02562344254598570078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436797024696330837.post-89667310823220526472017-04-26T02:19:54.627-07:002017-04-26T02:19:54.627-07:00To be fair it's one of my most viewed posts, s...To be fair it's one of my most viewed posts, so presumably people are getting some use out of it at least!James Younghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01728054107958411289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436797024696330837.post-4105376721793498952017-04-25T09:59:17.330-07:002017-04-25T09:59:17.330-07:00Nice! Surprised this hasn't gotten more commen...Nice! Surprised this hasn't gotten more comments!Noah S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00334330076709008756noreply@blogger.com