Luck Chit System

[Manic Typist]

I'm running a Firefly campaign, and to encourage a more cinematic mindset I've decided to experiment with the Luck Chit system as used by RDU Neil in his "Secret Worlds" campaign.

 

However, as thoroughly as I've (attempted) to search through his Secret World campaign logs, Reboot and Original, I cannot actually find an explanation of the fullness of the system. I've found explanations of individual parts or references to particular instances, but not the entirety of the system.

 

I've sent RDU Neil a message, but either he's busy/hasn't received it/hasn't noticed it (I've done that enough times, Lord knows), and so in the meantime I've just been winging it.

 

Does anyone know if there is a source where this Luck Chit system came from, besides RDU Neil? Or does anyone have a copy of it, etc?

 

Cheers, and happy New Year.

[aylwin13]

Re: Luck Chit System

 

Here are three Word docs that have the info you're looking for. The LuckChits file is a cut and paste of Neil's posts. The link to his thread is at the end of the doc. I think that the House Rules file might also be Neil's, but I'm not positive. I do believe it is still the same system, though. I'm also attaching a doc with all of Neil's house rules. The luck chits are on page 5. Hope this helps.

[Manic Typist]

Re: Luck Chit System

 

I don't care whether or not your avatar is representative of your gender or not.

 

I could kiss you.

 

Thanks!

 

(I wonder why I couldn't turn it up so neat and easy in my thread searches...)

[aylwin13]

Re: Luck Chit System

 

The trick is to copy/paste and save everything you find that looks useful. You never know when it might not be there any more. I need to convert a lot of these things to pdfs so I can save some space.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: Luck Chit System

 

House Rules : Luck Chits

 

At the beginning of each session the Players draw randomly one Luck Chit from the Bag. Player Characters with the Luck Power randomly draw an additional Luck Chit for every d6 of Luck.

 

At the End of each session all Players return any unspent Luck Chits to the Bag. Sometimes you want Quantity, sometimes Quality. The Luck Chits go away at the end of the game, no carry over. Use 'em or lose 'em... which encourages interactive use and not hoarding.

 

White Luck Chits: x 30 [1W = 1W] Allows a Reroll of any one roll you control. Or allows an Abort Maneuver (to Dodge, Block, Dive for Cover, etc …) without using an Action. It also allows a single Recovery, without using an Action. It also allows Players to modify the Hit Location Chart (Defensively) and move the hit location by One (up or down).

 

Green Luck Chits: x 30 [1G = 2W] Same as White, plus you can spend a green to take away a single die in a "to hit" or "skill" roll, to gain a success. Rolled a 15... Spend a Green, take away that 6, now you have a 9! Success! (The GM randomly draws a chit for the villains, if you spend a Green) It also allows Players to modify the Hit Location Chart (Defensively) and move the hit location by Two (up or down).

 

Blue Luck Chits: x 30 [1B = 3W or 1G & 1W] same as Green, without any benefit to GM. Blue is also a way to "flex" powers in a supers game. It allows a power to be used in a way that fits the SFX, but they haven't paid points for. [Ex: Flame character... wants to reduce the fire in a room to save a child... but doesn't have this power. Spends a Blue for this one action, his EB (or whatever) becomes Suppress normal fires, and he can do it.]

Blue also allows for "dramatic editing" so that the character can simply say, "I grab the broom handle and snap it off, so I have a stake to fight the vampire!" rather than asking, "Is there anything wooded around?" In the case I highlighted in the last Secret Worlds adventure... on PC was way out of the combat, and spent the Blue to come up with a creative way to get his character there "right now!". It also allows Players to modify the

Hit Location Chart (Defensively and Offensively) and move the hit location by Three (up or down).

 

Yellow Luck Chit: x 1 [1Y = 2B or 3G or 6W] There is only one in the bag, but if drawn, the player can become GM for a scene. They get to create and event or subplot or something along those lines, that fits with their character concept and long term goals. I've had one person spend it so his character finally got his Thesis on Paranormal Gestation Theory published, and to wide acclaim, so he became famous in those circles as THE expert on metahuman bio-genesis.

Another spent it, so that during a mission, he accidentally stumbled across some critical information about villain financing... this changed the entire SHAPE of the campaign, as the villains funding was exposed, and they had to come out of the shadows, rather than manipulate from behind the scenes.

 

The Yellow Luck Chit is usually just one "scene" or "event" They don't tend to really run the game in terms of controlling NPCs... They just say, "Ok... here's this cool thing that I want to have happen, with this or that character..." They often don't force a certain outcome, they just want to have something that really shows off their character, or allows their character to have a really big impact on the plot. (I guess it could be abused, but I've got great players. They tend to enhance the story and the world... not control it.)

Luck Power: [ each d6 Luck = 1 Luck Chit ] Drawn randomly and still allows the Player Characters to use the Luck Power as written in HERO System 5th Edition .

 

It's a great system ... players seem to really love it ... and it gives flexibility within limits. I've been doing it for probably 6 years or more at this point. I'd never go back. .

 

I'd created a generic "luck roll" to help determine random events. Roll 3d6... sixes good, ones bad. So if a player asks something like, "I need a rock to throw at the wild dogs making off with the baby!" I'd say, "Roll a luck roll," to determine if there just happened to be a rock around. Good luck, there is a perfect throwing rock, right at your feet. Bad luck... no rock to be found. Neither/nor... there is a rock, but its’ 20 feet away, and will take a turn to get it.

 

Luck (the Talent back then, now a Power) allowed characters to roll an extra die for each luck die they had... and that die could only be good for them (ones didn't count.)

 

RDU Neil’s Dark Champions: Secret Worlds Thread http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12191&page=3&pp=30

 

This worked pretty well, but for years there was a need to open up Champs/HERO System, to allow some flexibility with powers and give players a little more control over their characters destiny and story.

 

Then I played Deadlands. (Original Deadlands, when it first came out.) They had chips (poker chips) that you could spend to soak wounds, or make rolls better, or whatever. It was a great mechanic. After only one session, I realized that this was a way to make Luck in Hero very viable.

 

P.S.: A really well written campaign log too. Also apologies to Duke for placing his post out of order when I reorganized this thread.

 

 

More Later

 

 

QM

[Sweeper]

Re: Luck Chit System

 

Ah, Bennies. Great rule or muchkinism? It's all in the application, I suppose.