Authors' Comments
Skill checks
Sometimes I've wondered if skill checks like diplomacy and intimidate should be done more like this, roll the dice and then decide what you say. There have been multiple times where I've made a speech that was fairly epic, but then I rolled poorly. How do you justify an epic speech failing?
One common fix is to give a circumstance bonus to the roll. However, that gives an advantage to players who are better at coming up with speeches on the fly. Should a character be better at diplomacy just because the players have different experience in role playing?
The other problem I have is that there's no equivalent (at least in the groups I've played with or even GM'd) for things like combat. If I describe the epic shot I'm trying to make on the villain, it's more likely to become MORE difficult (called shots, for example).
I'm actually about to start running a new campaign soon, so if anyone has suggestions on how to make this better, please feel free to comment.
One common fix is to give a circumstance bonus to the roll. However, that gives an advantage to players who are better at coming up with speeches on the fly. Should a character be better at diplomacy just because the players have different experience in role playing?
The other problem I have is that there's no equivalent (at least in the groups I've played with or even GM'd) for things like combat. If I describe the epic shot I'm trying to make on the villain, it's more likely to become MORE difficult (called shots, for example).
I'm actually about to start running a new campaign soon, so if anyone has suggestions on how to make this better, please feel free to comment.
Viewer comments
Roleplaying Combat
Here's one idea I had. I decided that I didn't want this role playing in combat to be super frequent, because combat sometimes moves slowly enough already. So I figure a once per combat kind of thing is plenty (maybe even still too often, but we'll see).
But I think that once per combat, a player can make a called shot, and get a bonus based on how epic of a description they give. What does everyone think?
But I think that once per combat, a player can make a called shot, and get a bonus based on how epic of a description they give. What does everyone think?
Roleplaying Combat
It is tough, but I like to keep battle almost purely mechanical besides the chatter and flavour descriptions. Most characters are built for battle, it is simply how the game works, and I think letting battle be purely on the rolls lets those battle players shine while the social situations is where the other players shine.
Diplomacy is the biggest thing you need to change though, rather than making diplomacy a 'make people like you more' skill, it is better suited as a 'convince' skill. To that end, if the players want a character to do something for them and it isn't necessarily in the NPCs best interest, I make them roll diplomacy. I know that isn't how the skill is written but it fits in with intimidate which is scare them into doing something and bluff which is trick them into something better. Diplomacy is the lawful version I guess.
When it comes to the social skills, I prefer to use them very sparingly and only at crucial junctures, not all the time. That way not every NPC earns 5 minutes of throwing the dice back and forth.
Finally, with the social skills, I as the GM determine when they are used not the players in most circumstances. I have my players roleplay every situation and only when I think they reach a crucial juncture where they have said something that fulfils the criterior to be a bluff, initimidation or attempt at diplomacy do I make them roll. That way the social skills are used sparingly and occasionally I actually get the "Oh No..." reaction from a player when they realize they have said something dishonest or misleading to be tricky and suddenly find themself rolling for bluff.
Short version: I like to keep social stuff roleplaying not rollplaying if at all possible.
Diplomancy Nerf, for the Greater Good
http://www.giantitp.com/articles/jFppYwv7OUkegKhONNF.html
Love the comic.
XiaoKe on 23rd Jun 2014, 7:00 AM
[edit] [delete]
That moment when you realize you have absolutely no clue why you chose this class...
Every Class has its ups and downs and every class has certain features and every class has certain things that you are pretty much expected to do, so if you jump head first into a new class that you have no clue about, things could get ugly... When building a new character researching the class is just as important as building your backstory and putting in the things you want, while you probably could make a Tank Cleric its probably not the best idea as you will indeed have to make sacrifices like Blake did.
Up Next! The Begining of the end.
Diplomacy- The skill check used when trying to talk and convince someone of something without yelling or lying to them.
Charisma- This ability is basically how sociable your character is, a lot of skills like diplomacy, bluff, and intimidate utilize this. Also some people utilize this to determine how ugly or good looking you are (See The Gamers 2: The Dorkness Rising)
Class- The character type, its kind of like choosing what Job your character does such as are you a warrior or are you a healer?