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How do I do X in Revolution d100?


RosenMcStern

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By popular demand, this sticky thread will list interesting solutions for commonly encountered problems or tropes, using the Revolution D100 rules. Rather than additional rules, these are consequences of the core rules mixed with a little creativity.

To avoid clutter, if you have a question about one of these suggestions, please start a new thread.

 

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How do you model an alternate form with a consequence? For example, in Werewolf the Apocalypse, you have a monstrous wolf form, but it costs a limited resource to shift into it, and, once you do, you have a limited number of rounds in it before you're berserk and killing your friends.

The effects of the alternate forms are the same as explained in the Totem of the Beast blessing, and are very easy to balance and adapt to your desired Urban Fantasy setting. A negative side effect of using your powers is easy to model as a Consequence, for instance "Unable to control bloodlust" or "Tendency to go berserk". Just apply an appropriate amount of Recurring, Permanent Consequences that the Narrator can only trigger when the player uses the power or alternate form . For each (-) in the Consequence, the Narrator can give the Opposition a Bonus in a relevant non-violent conflict, or drain Life points by 10 in Advanced Combat, or apply any other nuisance, once. This works similarly to the Consequences attached to familiars and magic items for which the enchanter suffered some Resolution Point loss while enchanting, the only difference is that they are inherent to the character concept rather than the result of a conflict the player decided to run.

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In Demon the Descent, you have an alternate form, but doing so "blows your cover" and makes it more likely that Angels will find you.So speaking of cover, how do you model a limited resource track? For example, Demons have "Covers", which they build by performing certain actions, and then slow.

 

A limited resource track could be modeled with Positive Consequences that you use up, instead, but keep in mind that the system is simply not designed to accomodate this kind of mechanics. It runs on other concepts than "limited resource management":

 

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Additional suggestions by Pansophy:

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How do I model the slow process of "the beast within" taking control?

Give the Player character a Trait like 'Werecreature'. The player can use this Trait with any task that he can argue is plausible. Example possible uses: Melee Combat, Perception, Intimidation.

When the player decides to change into the werecreature form, he has to run a Parallel Conflict against an Opposition of 15 (with a Skill of 50%). The Recource Point Pool for the Player is his (WIL + CON)/2. This Parallel Conflict is active as long as the player is in werecreature form. Once the Conflict is solved, he changes back.

Every time the player uses the 'Werecreature' Trait in combination with a Skill, he also has to Roll for Effect in the Parallel Conflict, using his 'Concentration(Werecreature)' Skill/Trait. This represents the characters effort to keep the beast at bay and stay in control. Once the Parallel Conflict ends (and the player changes back to his human form), one of the following outcomes are possible:

  • the player lost the Conflict: he adds a negative Consequence to his character, e.g. 'severe headaches', 'blood on my hands and clothes', 'no recollection of last night'. The character lost control of the beast and it went wild, roaming freely to satisfy its needs.
  • the player won the Conflict: if the character already has a negative Condition connected to the werecreature, he reduces the severity by one (crossing off one '-' bracket). In case the character does not have an existing Condition, he just kept the beast under his control - this time - and nothing else happened.

Remember, losing 11 or more points in a Conflict adds a Recurring condition, regardless if you won the Conflict or not. Also, adding a second sign to an existing Condition might warrant it to be changed to a Recurring Condition, too. Feel free to reword the newly established Recurring Condition to something more suitable.

Once the character has 5 negative Recurring Conditions, the beast inside takes over and the player lost his character to the dark side.

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  • 2 months later...

This is indeed a good question.

The rules allow for "freeform" Traits (sidebar on p.25), so if the group wishes to adopt a play style that really resembles Fate or HeroQuest, then this Trait is certainly permissible. As this Trait can only be used as a Support Bonus, the skill to which it applies is only relevant insofar as you wish it to use up one slot, something that the rules do not explicitly request. In the case of this specific Trait, the Narrator might want to let it take a Concentration slot, as the character's weak will hampers concentation and use up space that he could devote to Willpower.

However, there is a much more appropriate way to represent this in game. What your player wishes to apply sounds much like a Motivation to me. There is a specific example in the rules of these negative Motivations, in which a character is unable to overcome his addiction(s) (page 9 and 79) and the description of his failure to resist replenishes his Fate Point Pool, as it counts as describing a scene related to the Motivation.

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Well, I understand Motivation is something positive, which "drives you to improve your situation", like trying to overcome a weakness. As the rule says, "addicted to alcohol" is not a good motivation, but "tries to overcome his addiction" is a good one. In this case, the player wanted a true impairment, like a passion, an addiction, a phobia. A kind of HQ flaw.

What about giving a permanent Consequence ?

Wind on the Steppes, role playing among the steppe Nomads. The  running campaign and the blog

 

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A Motivation is something that drives you. "Wants to get a fix" is a valid Motivation and is certainly not positive.

"Can hardly resist a [temptation]" is a good Motivation, as it motivates the PC. If the PC sees what can hardly be resisted, then the PC will try and do/get it. The Motivation can be used in an Opposed Contest, with a RP against WIL, as the PC tries to resist the temptation. Consequences could happen as a result of the Contest. 

A permanent consequence would work, but a permanent consequence could well end up as a Motivation, so is a means to the same end, almost an intermediary step.

Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

www.soltakss.com/index.html

Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here

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Although I backed RD100 I just never seem to get the time to give it a proper read. Damn this adult life sometimes heh heh The more I see of RD100, the more I like. Especially with how Skills are structured, and how there are modern rules which encourage more narrative play styles.

I just wish it was a hardcover, but thats just me. It's nicer to show off to people that way.

I know what my next holiday rulebook will be...

Edited by Mankcam

" Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!"

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15 hours ago, soltakss said:

A Motivation is something that drives you. "Wants to get a fix" is a valid Motivation and is certainly not positive.

"Can hardly resist a [temptation]" is a good Motivation, as it motivates the PC. If the PC sees what can hardly be resisted, then the PC will try and do/get it. The Motivation can be used in an Opposed Contest, with a RP against WIL, as the PC tries to resist the temptation. Consequences could happen as a result of the Contest. 

A permanent consequence would work, but a permanent consequence could well end up as a Motivation, so is a means to the same end, almost an intermediary step.

I'm not sure. Citing the rules : "A Motivation is a short phrase that expresses what your character believes in, wants to achieve, what is important, what haunts his or her dreams." And  "“Addicted to alcohol” is not a good Motivation".

I understand a Motivation as something which shall drive you doing voluntary something (this is what I mean with "positive"), not prevent you or force you doing something, which is in terms of mechanics the opposite and like would be an addiction or a phobia. So it should be "despite blablabla..." or "tries to overcome blablabla..." instead.

And what would mean "activating a Motivation" ? Getting drunk for an alcoholic ? (and gaining Fate Points, as everybody knows that there are guardian angels for alcoholics :))

Wind on the Steppes, role playing among the steppe Nomads. The  running campaign and the blog

 

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3 hours ago, Mankcam said:

I just wish it was a hardcover, but thats just me. It's nicer to show off to people that way.

This option is always on the table.

3 hours ago, Zit said:

I'm not sure. Citing the rules : "A Motivation is a short phrase that expresses what your character believes in, wants to achieve, what is important, what haunts his or her dreams." And  "“Addicted to alcohol” is not a good Motivation".

I understand a Motivation as something which shall drive you doing voluntary something (this is what I mean with "positive"), not prevent you or force you doing something, which is in terms of mechanics the opposite and like would be an addiction or a phobia. So it should be "despite blablabla..." or "tries to overcome blablabla..." instead.

And what would mean "activating a Motivation" ? Getting drunk for an alcoholic ? (and gaining Fate Points, as everybody knows that there are guardian angels for alcoholics :))

Yes, but "cannot resist" means that he tries, at least. It all depends on whether the player wants to portray the struggle in play, although the character usually fails. If anything the character does is getting drunk, this makes for a poor Motivation because it produces poor scenes. If the player roleplays the attempt not to get drunk, or invents interesting inconveniences for the character drunken status, then it becomes a good Motivation because it adds to the narration, either in drama or in comic relief.

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5 hours ago, Zit said:

I'm not sure. Citing the rules : "A Motivation is a short phrase that expresses what your character believes in, wants to achieve, what is important, what haunts his or her dreams." And  "“Addicted to alcohol” is not a good Motivation".

 

No "Addicted to Alcolohol" is not a good Motivation. "Will go to any lengths to get a drink" could be.

In any case, why should it be a good Motivation? if I had "Addicted to Alcohol" as a Motivation, then I would argue that it suits the character, whether the rules say it is a good choice or not. Rules are guidelines, nothing more, nothing less. If I have something that the rules say shouldn;t happen and yet it makes sense, then I ignore the rules.

 

5 hours ago, Zit said:

I understand a Motivation as something which shall drive you doing voluntary something (this is what I mean with "positive"), not prevent you or force you doing something, which is in terms of mechanics the opposite and like would be an addiction or a phobia. So it should be "despite blablabla..." or "tries to overcome blablabla..." instead.

 

So, "Search for Aztec Treasure" is a good Motivation, yet "Search for next drink" isn't? Semantically, they are exactly the same.

 

5 hours ago, Zit said:

And what would mean "activating a Motivation" ? Getting drunk for an alcoholic ? (and gaining Fate Points, as everybody knows that there are guardian angels for alcoholics :))

 

"When a Motivation is active, the player has voluntarily flagged it as a theme that he or she would like to place in the spotlight for that game session. ", so if I had "Can hardly resist alcohol" as a Motivation and I activated it, then I would either go and try and find a drink or I would do anything to get a drink, or possibly try to resist having a drink. What would the game effects be? If my PC had met a group of barbarians, then I could challenge them to a drinking contest and use my Motivation in that contest. If my PC is meeting a lord and saw a bottle of drink on the table, then I might try and take a swig, perhaps offending the lord. 

Motivations need not be good things.

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Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

www.soltakss.com/index.html

Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here

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On 17/09/2017 at 3:07 AM, Zit said:

What about giving a permanent Consequence ?

That's how I do it when players want a kind of Advantage/Disadvantage system for RD100. For a permanent Consequence I would allow the characer a free Stunt, though, so it makes it worth taking the (-). See my signature, I uploaded two PDFs for RD100 , one with house rules.

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21 hours ago, Mankcam said:

Although I backed RD100 I just never seem to get the time to give it a proper read. Damn this adult life sometimes heh heh The more I see of RD100, the more I like.

[...]

I know what my next holiday rulebook will be...

I could always lodge a RD100 online session and explain some rules, if you like/need. Or you could come up to the Sunny Coast to play a one shot with the group.

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3 hours ago, pansophy said:

I could always lodge a RD100 online session and explain some rules, if you like/need. Or you could come up to the Sunny Coast to play a one shot with the group.

Thanks for the offer mate, I may do that at a later date :D

" Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!"

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  • 1 year later...

How shall we manage the status traits when the social status is not completely related to the wealth ? For instance, in middle ages, there where rich and poor barons, rich and medium bourgeois and so on. How do you differentiate a poor baron from a rich one ? What if a PC finds a treasure ? In some countries, there have even been slaves as ministers. It looks that there shall be either one status trait or one wealth trait, and I'm a bit annoyed by that.

Wind on the Steppes, role playing among the steppe Nomads. The  running campaign and the blog

 

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I would do this, indeed. My question comes from a remark of Paolo in a private exchange : "You are not supposed to use Wealth at all when characters live in a society with its specific Status Traits. In this way, each player would have TWO status traits. Instead, the social class is the Status and we add a table that provides an equivalent in Wealth for when the character wishes to purchase something."

That's my problem. There is not always one single wealth available for a status. I don't see how to mark the wealth level of a character without having a wealth trait, which must not be a status trait. Or to have the wealth in brackets, like a kind of Status stunt ? Like Bourgeois (average) or Bourgeois (affluent) ?

Wind on the Steppes, role playing among the steppe Nomads. The  running campaign and the blog

 

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My remark referred to a society where Status is more important than wealth. Think for instance of the Sengoku Jidai Status table which remarks that merchants (Affluent in terms of Wealth) have a lower status than peasants. It is a borderline case, but not infrequent.

Status Traits can be as complicated as you wish. Think of Jor Vargàs, the sample character provided. He is a former noble, which means he does not enjoy any of the advantages of nobility status - but someone who is still loyal to his old masters might still recognize him as a noble, so his Status is somehow above average.

If you cannot explain all these facts with one single Trait, then by all means you can have multiple Status Traits. They all use the same slot. Noble, Average Wealth is less explicative than fallen noble, but it has more or less the same effect.

In any case, context is paramount with Status. There is no general rule you can really apply.

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On 3/24/2019 at 4:58 PM, Zit said:

How shall we manage the status traits when the social status is not completely related to the wealth ? For instance, in middle ages, there where rich and poor barons, rich and medium bourgeois and so on. How do you differentiate a poor baron from a rich one ? What if a PC finds a treasure ? In some countries, there have even been slaves as ministers. It looks that there shall be either one status trait or one wealth trait, and I'm a bit annoyed by that.

In Merrie England, Characters can have a Social trait and a Wealth Trait, allowing for Rich and Poor Nobles or Rich and Poor Beggars.

Basically, you can default one from the other, unless you know differently. So, if you are playing someone with the Baron Trait then you can assume that the Baron is Rich and use the Baron Trait in situations where money is involved. However, if you are playing a Penniless Baron, then you cannot use Baron in those circumstances, or it becomes a Penalty instead. 

If you find a treasure it can change your Wealth Status, at least temporarily.  Unless you have a way of investing the newly-found riches then your Wealth Trait could well slide back to Poor.

Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

www.soltakss.com/index.html

Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here

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  • 11 months later...

The skill name will become "Handling" in the international edition. Actually, the modification will already be there in Dynamic D100.

Having Handling Horse means you can ride, too (further stunts can exist in animal-heavy environments like the Steppes to allow Horse Archery and such). 

Having Handling Dog means you can train a dog. A trained dog who is loyal to you uses up a slot, like all followers.

Having Handling Cat means you can persuade cats that they are not the boss, you are. This is probably more a Divine Power than a Trait.

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"Cattle" is certainly a Trait that you can use with more than one base skill. One of which is Handling.

This is the beauty of Traits. You do not need to start recording a new skill for a limited scope (or derive it from a totally unrelated one with a complex formula), you just apply an existing Trait to another skill. 

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