bigdamnhero Posted October 5, 2014 Report Share Posted October 5, 2014 A final note: In my previous Champions campaign, and also in my upcoming campaign, I've asked the players to each provide up to 5 NPCs (Note: not DNPCs) -- just a name, who they are and how they're connected to the PC, to round out their world. Along the same lines, I typically ask my players to fill out a list of questions about their character before we touch actual mechanics, and one of them is "Who are the important people/relationships in your life?" This help identify their "supporting cast" whether or not they turn out to show up as DNPCs. In the same way a character may have an SID, but if it's something that never comes up or doesn't really inconvenience the character much, then it may not rate a Complication. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdamnhero Posted October 5, 2014 Report Share Posted October 5, 2014 But I will point out that first you admit to having failed to understand the rules....and then you deny that they are obscure and difficult. Fair point. I was thinking about the rule itself not being any more complicated/difficult, but I agree that the way it's worded/presented is a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 If any of your players are writers, consider blue booking as an option for "non-adventure" times. Blue booking isn't just for "writers". I have people send me a text on what they want their characters to be doing between adventures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 I would hope the players will only take complications that accurately reflect the sort of character they want to play. I know if I was a player I wouldn't take ANY complications at all under your system. Why should I? For a few exps? I just claim im playing Capt. Paragon. I do though give higher base points so as the characters need only to take the disadvantages that they really want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinanju Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 I know if I was a player I wouldn't take ANY complications at all under your system. Why should I? For a few exps? I just claim im playing Capt. Paragon. I do though give higher base points so as the characters need only to take the disadvantages that they really want. You say that like it's an "Aha! Gotcha!" moment. But the whole point is that I want players to take complications (if they do) because they want to roleplay the consequences, not just to maximize their point totals. If you want to play a completely mentally and emotionally balanced guy with no more pressing issue in your life than the Supervillain du Jour, you're allowed to do that. The flip side of that is that a player who has a strong characterization in mind for his PC can probably pick some extra XP by taking complications that reflect it. If your backstory is that you defected from the League of Assassins (to take a not-so-random example from a episode of Arrow I saw last night), you can take a Hunted complication if you like (and they'll turn up occasionally to try to kill or capture you or threaten your loved ones), or not. In which case, yeah, you're on a "kill or capture if it's not terribly inconvenient" list somewhere in LoA HQ, but that's about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 Blue booking isn't just for "writers". I have people send me a text on what they want their characters to be doing between adventures. No, it isn't, but those that are more interested in writing seem to be more willing to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Sinanju for me taking points for complications forces me to have a better characterization. I really don't mind trading off advantages for disadvantages (and vise versa). I know its wargaming but that is one of the reasons I love Battletech era 3025. I have misslies but watch out if you get a critical. PPCs deala lot of damage but also generate a lot of heat and have minimums to fire, etc. Oh anf if it works for you thats great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 No, it isn't, but those that are more interested in writing seem to be more willing to do so. I agree that that's as rule is true however why phrase it to be exclusionary? (And I ready admit that I could have read into your original statement more than is warrented.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Because I have had players that like to do it, to build their own character's story and I've had players that won't be bothered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher R Taylor Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 One way to encourage people to take complications is to give them 'hero points' every time one triggers (rather than when they trigger it). Another is to use them to give the player attention, by focusing on their character story. That way they're more than just a way to get more points for the character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 I'm coming more and more to the conclusion that only certain Complications should be worth character points and the rest are best used as part of a "hero point" system.....gaining you an action point or whatever you call it, whenever they are triggered. Lucius Alexander Palindromedary points Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher R Taylor Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 I think that came up in the discussion about writing the 6th edition rules, that some should be lower point value but trigger hero points. You'd have to reduce the expected compliation points for a campaign though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted October 14, 2014 Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 how about to zero? Lucius Alexander The palindromedary haikus; One must count points, else Pointless the rules; but know that Points are not the point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher R Taylor Posted October 14, 2014 Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 I think its a good idea for people to get extra points for complications, because it not only encourages people to buy them but it gives the complications greater weight to design in the minds of newer players. Now, I and my friends have often built characters that have more complications than you can get points from but we've been playing since the early 1980s so we're old hands at this. I wouldn't care if we got points or not, but it is a big help for new players get a handle on the system as opposed to, say D&D or Pathfinder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted October 14, 2014 Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 Oh Sinanju to be clear I do agree that people should take complications that are meaningful and fun for the player. That's why I just bimped up the base points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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