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08:12, 19th March 2024 (GMT+0)

looking for advice.

Posted by Fireball30
Fireball30
member, 79 posts
i knit so
i dont kill people
Tue 13 Oct 2020
at 22:31
  • msg #1

looking for advice

im running a simple little game free form. i was wondering if adding some dice rolls to make thing more fare, random. i dont k now, more intresting.

simple actions yes or no

1d100 +50 success or maybe odds failure even success

is 1d100 to much just 1d10 enough.

kind of thinking 1d100 simple tasks like walking down the street, not that walking need a roll, if roller gets 25+ success, if 75+ walked fast. but if -25 then trip and fall. if you roll 1,2,3 trip fall scrape hands faces something?


i dont know if any of this makes sense or if any of this is even necessary
tibiotarsus
member, 199 posts
Hopepunk with a shovel
Wed 14 Oct 2020
at 00:25
  • msg #2

looking for advice

As a creature of chaos, I feel beholden to mention the dice roller has a Magic 8-Ball function that is excellent for arbitrary non-numerical decision-making.
Ramidel
member, 1375 posts
Err on the side
of awesome.
Wed 14 Oct 2020
at 11:49
  • msg #3

looking for advice

If you're going for freeform, play freeform. If you're going to have a system, have a system. Trying to add dice to freeform only works if you like the idea of characters' basic competence being random and inconsistent.
nauthiz
subscriber, 674 posts
Wed 14 Oct 2020
at 16:31
  • msg #4

looking for advice

Agreed with Ramidel.

Some of the reasons some people are attracted to freeform games can get lost when mechanical systems are introduced.

If your players are clamoring for mechanics, then you should all figure out a set everyone is happy with and go with that.  There's plenty of systems out there which will provide a small amount of structure without getting in the way of whatever narrative everyone is trying to tell.

Otherwise whatever issue you're trying to solve or goal you're trying to reach by introducing an element of randomization is likely addressed in a better way.
Gaffer
member, 1654 posts
Ocoee FL
45 yrs of RPGs
Thu 15 Oct 2020
at 16:31
  • msg #5

looking for advice

I'm not a fan of freeform much.

That said, my forays into the method have led me to believe that just letting the players decide whether their characters succeed or fail tends to disadvantage the more reasonable at the expense of the ones that ALWAYS win. The only way to resolve this in a pure freeform system is if the GM arbitrates, which often leads to accusations of arbitrariness. It's at that point that I have usually resigned.

What the OP might like is to utilize a black box element in decision making. Using the Magic 8-ball to suggest your decisions to some extent--not to make the decision but to free your mind--might be helpful to you without the players even knowing.
Ice Raven
member, 179 posts
Thu 15 Oct 2020
at 17:51
  • msg #6

looking for advice

I think you're better off having a system in place with rules, skills, chances of success  etc, and then just mostly ignoring it and running freeform. It's something there, something in place that you can pull the players back to if things get a bit too much.

It's way better than starting with freeform.and then belatedly trying to impose limits and realism retroactively.
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