Saturday 25 February 2012

Two additions to end trap-related heartbreak.

I spent a bit of time this week trying to persuade people that old-school play isn't about antagonistic GMing and pixel-bitching to avoid deathtraps. I'm hoping these additions to Into the Odd will help get that point across.

A Note on Risk
Generally the Referee should make the players aware if they are taking a risk. A game should have surprises, but players should feel that their decisions in the game have led to the risk that lead to the nasty surprise.

For example, when the characters encounter a monster or hazard that is very likely to be able to kill them outright, the Referee should ensure that the players know this is a possibility. Assessing the risk against the possible reward is an important part of the game, so the players should always have what they need to make an informed choice.

Spotting Traps
As a general rule the presence of a trap will always be noticed by characters unless they are sprinting, visually impaired or distracted by something else. After this initial clue the characters may trigger the trap through further inaction or lack of caution. The players should consider creative ways of getting around a trap or disarming it completely. Risky methods may call for a Save.