Lucky shot?

[PerennialRook]

My gnome, Ramne, hit a ratman/wererat, 32" away, who was running at full tilt, from a second story window. Possible?

 

The same gnome is also impulsive (phycological disadvantage) and, when comming upon a goblin encampment, thought it would be interesting to see what would happen if he hit one of the 60 or so goblins. I rolled a self imposed ego roll and failed, thus flinging a sling bullet at one of the goblins. I was the only character in the group to suffer a point loss when the dm tallied points for the game at the end, even when another character had followed the afore mentioned wererat alone into the forrest at full speed (thusly getting jumped and nearly killed, though the wererat fled rather than finish the job). Should I have been penalized for following my characters disadvantages? Does an impulsive character think about the possible consequenses of actions taken (the party narrowly escaped pursuit), or act on impulse?

 

-Preston

[Kintara]

Impulsive isn't totally random. Impulsive people act on their desires and feelings. Can you explain the character's impetus for shooting a sling bullet into the middle of a camp of enemies?

 

I don't understand your comparison, either. Someone else pursued an enemy into a forest? Of course, let me be clear, I wouldn't have penalized you for your choice of action. I do, however, think that your action seems too random. Impulse is impulse, not whimsy.

 

Edit: Let me explain a little further. When you have an impulse to do something, usually it means that you feel prompted to follow some urge within you. You feel an impulse to run from a wild dog, or a charging gorilla. You feel an impulse to buy a hat that jumped out at you.

 

Caprice, on the otherhand is both impulsive and unpredictable. A capricious or whimsical creature would surprise you with odd decisions, and the impetus behind his actions would swing wildly. All of a sudden, with no prompting what-so-ever, they would go from normal conversation to angry aspersion or lustful advances.

 

Capricious people are far more likely to be labeled nuts. Impulsive people are just considered foolish.

[Talon]

My (limited) research put bows and slings at roughly equal levels, so an experienced slinger should be able to hit something at 64 yards -- not the luckiest of shots, but definitely an accurate one. My biggest question would be how he got the clearance to work the sling -- was he leaning out the window?

 

As for the impulsive thing: unless your character is amazingly naive or stupid, he would darn well know what would happen when he hit 1 of 60 goblins with a sling. "Impulsive" does not mean "suicidal". If I were GM, I would definitely be insisting that the disad be clarified and/or changed so that the party has some chance of survival.

[Demonsong]

As the GM in question. I have a few things to add.

 

1- The 10 point Disadvantage Impulsive does not make the character insanely stupid or suicidal. And that should be obvious to any player.

 

2-Your comparison to chasing the rat-man in to the forest is not applicable. Two totally different events not related in any way.

 

3-I did not penalize your for that grossly stupid act, although I probably should have. You got more experience than any one else that game, for other stuff you did during the game.

[Vondy]

In the first case I would think a skilled slinger or archer could make the shot on a fairly regular basis (and my assumption is such an individual would have 4-6 PSLs versus range modifiers).

 

In the second case I think you went above and beyond the call of impulse and walked right into tactically suicidal and unreasonably idiotic land.

 

As for XP - I can see reducing your award compared to the other players for that level of utter and complete tom-foolery, but from the sounds of it your GM didn't do that.