[Torg] Reality Storms

[Steve Crow]

> > Even ignoring that, it seems like the ability to drain potentially massive
> > numbers of possibilities from the environment has some world/concept-bending
> > repercussions.
> 
> Let's look at what it takes to try to pull such a feat off. First, the
> character has to get between a +9 and +12 result on the check to get
> things into maelstrom. Second, the 5 to 8 Possibilities that are lost
> by the victim as part of this can't cause a loss right then. Third,
> the character has to have good enough control of the situation to
> insure that the opponent's attempt to drain him won't overcome his own
> attempts to gain.
> 

All I can say, is none of that seems particularly hard to do. All it means is a) since PCs have cards, that's not hard to do; b) you have an opponent with 6 to 9 possibilities at the start of a IRS (not really uncommon); and c) in other words, they have to have a better reality skill (see also a). :)

> If you get all three of these together, without first causing the
> storm to grow so large you affect your teammates' ability to perform,
> you can achieve the bonus result. But anyone who is trying this has to
> be blatant about it, in the sense that they are becoming a
> realitymonger. There are ways to deal with a realitymonger, such as
> having a powerful Ord (like a 5th-planting gospog) surrounded by
> low-level Possibility-rated flunkies (like generic ninja). Watch the
> realitymonger confidently stride up to the "boss" and invoke a
> non-storm. Or, put him up against someone with similar skills and
> "home cosm advantage" and when the next three hours of game time are
> spent resolving the maelstrom, the remaining players will step in and
> pound some sense into realitymonger's skull. Or arrange to have the
> next six months of gameplay occur against villains from the same
> reality as realitymonger, so as to deprive him of targets.
> 

First of all, we're not necessarily talking about a reality-monger. Even one (let's say "accidental") result where a PC gets a Maelstrom early on, nails enough of their opponent's Reality adds to turn an even match into an advantage for the PCs, and then they just sit their and grab 20-30-40 Possibilities out of the local environment rather than drain their opponent, is sufficient to throw things out of whack. In fact, someone who isn't a reality-monger will probably sit there and do it: hey, it's their one chance, better some snag some XP now because I won't get to do it agin. A reality-monger at least would figure he'l be able to do it again in the future... and again... and again.

In other words, a large part of the problem is the player who "gets lucky" rather than the raelity-monger. Even getting lucky once, given the repercussions, is enough.

Giving them low-level Possibility-rated flunkies to create IRSs against probably isn't a good idea...  :)

The latter doesn't work if you have two different-reality realitymongers in the group. Or if, say, the characters camp out in a particular realm. If a Nippon Tech and a Living Land reality-monger camp out in Aysle, it seems kind of silly to have the next six months have them fighting Nippon Tech and Living Land villains...  :)

Also, these all seem like... well, meta-solutions. It seems goofy to come up with meta-solutions that I have to rewrite my campaign for, to deal with a rule that apparently does exactly what its creators and re-creator (waves to Kansas Jim :) ) intended.

I don't really want my campaign goals and intentions to be subject to a rule that dictates things like the reality of their opponents, or whether I send gospogs or P-rated opponents.

> When one side has been drained, the storm ends. That's in the rules
> already. And there is no need to worry about results if the two
> contestants are relatively even in skill; they will tend to stay
> around the same number of Possibilities. If both are trying to grow
> their own totals, they will grow at about the same rate. Likewise, if
> they are both trying to deplete their opponent, the totals will fall
> at about the same rate. The abuse only occurs if you have one side at
> much higher skill against someone with a fair number of Possibilities
> to begin with, and a clever GM can control for that...
> 

Yes, except in a maelstrom you never have to drain your opponent. You always have the choice to gain what is in essence XP instead. In fact, an early success sufficient to get a Maelstrom result in the battle (that seems to be the most common problem), will often leave them with fwe Possibilities, and/r turn their Reality skill from an even match to an uneven match.

---

Steve Crow

"Logic merely enables one to be wrong with authority."

Check out my website at:  http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Stargate/4991/



_________________________________________________________________
Express your personality in color! Preview and select themes for Hotmail®. 
http://www.windowslive-hotmail.com/LearnMore/personalize.aspx?ocid=TXT_MSGTX_WL_HM_express_032009#colortheme
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.justintimeadventures.com/pipermail/torg/attachments/20090314/672b6f2d/attachment.html>