[Torg] Possibility Spending

[Travis James Hall]

I knew there was something bothering me about this, but I only just figured
out what.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: torg-bounces at justintimeadventures.com 
> [mailto:torg-bounces at justintimeadventures.com] On Behalf Of 
> Benjamin Grant
> Sent: Sunday, 9 November 2008 12:28 PM
> To: torg at justintimeadventures.com
> Subject: RE: [Torg] Possibility Spending
> 
> It is true that possibilities can be quickly lost, it is 
> always an optional usage - and since the PCs usually 
> outnumber the NPC possy rated villain 3 to 1, this usually 
> means that if the PCs want it badly enough, assuming that the 
> baddie has roughly the same amount of possies as they, each 
> of them can lose 1/3 of their possibilities but in so doing 
> make sure that the baddie gets no rerolls and their own 
> rerolls will not be stopped.  It's pricey, but can be worth 
> it.  Anyways, it's their option.

No, it's not their option - not alone. It's the option of whomever cares the
least about hanging on to their Possibilities.

See, the P-rated bad guy has the option of spending Possibilities for
re-rolls in exactly the same way that the PCs do. That means that either the
PCs have to allow him to get extra die rolls (that is, not counter) or the
NPC can simply burn all his Possibilities to force the PCs to lose about a
third of their Possibilities.

And why wouldn't he? If he's outnumbered three to one, he's likely to get
his butt kicked. Unspent Possibilities don't help if you're dead. The best
chance a typical P-rated NPC has to survive will be to make the cost of
stopping him or at least preventing his escape so high that the PCs aren't
willing to pay.

I think, as a player, I'd be quite unhappy about that situation. It makes it
far harder to keep Possibility expenditure down through smart play. Burning
Possibilities just to wear down the opposition's Possibility stores is a
mug's game, and something that allows the other side to force me to play it
is very bad for me.

At least with the standard rule, the group has the option of spending a
couple of Possibilities to keep the bad guy suppressed until they can
finesse a means to put him down with Possibilities still in hand.

Travis Hall