Rick Meints Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 Whilst perusing various old documents I stumbled across this awesome RQ2 skill: GREG: There have been occasions when I have been reffing an expedition and, in explaining events, appearances, etc. have dropped all the clues I thought necessary for the players to have gotten the message. Sometimes they don't, and I am occasionally aware that it is a situation which the characters would recognize, but the players don't. What to do short of telling them? I have them roll their SPOT OBVIOUS skill. SPOT OBVIOUS: (perception skill) If a successful role is made the characters which did so receive the information first and act on it. ("Hey you guys, that's not a statue!) To find your ability, use this formula: (20 minus INT)X5 as a percentile die roll. Yes, that's right. The dumber you are the more likely you will spot the obvious. Oh yea, this cannot be trained, but can only go up with experience. I will also agree that you should probably get your natural perception bonus, too. 16 2 8 Quote Hope that Helps,Rick Meints - Chaosium, Inc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott-martin Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Sad to say the McFeezy Trove confirms. Of course this will probably end up living with you some day. 2 Quote singer sing me a given Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
styopa Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 Implementing immediately. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedopon Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 I always assumed everyone does something like this in their games. Players (me included 1001%) can get deep into analysis paralysis or just plain stupid behavior at the drop of a hat. You have to throw them a line sometimes. 1 Quote 121/420 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d(sqrt(-1)) Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 We always used to call it "Spot the Bleedin' Obvious" 1 Quote Always start what you finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g33k Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 I like Gumshoe's basic rule: if there is a necessary clue, your roll isn't to FIND the clue, it's for everything else... how long did you take, did you learn anything extra, did you tip off the target, or create other complications, etc ... 3 Quote C'es ne pas un .sig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atgxtg Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 1 hour ago, g33k said: I like Gumshoe's basic rule: if there is a necessary clue, your roll isn't to FIND the clue, it's for everything else... how long did you take, did you learn anything extra, did you tip off the target, or create other complications, etc ... I don't think this is really for spotting a clue, but for putting the pieces together. Sometimes (often) my players "spot" all the clues but then somehow don't manage to connect the dots. This is only partially the players fault, as often things that seem obvious to the Gamemaster aren't obvious to the players. A couple of my players have had to sit back and let other players do thing when thier characters "weren't there" and they've often comment on how they notice things or get ideas watching that they don't get while actually playing. Quote Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g33k Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 10 hours ago, Atgxtg said: I don't think this is really for spotting a clue, but for putting the pieces together. Sometimes (often) my players "spot" all the clues but then somehow don't manage to connect the dots. This is only partially the players fault, as often things that seem obvious to the Gamemaster aren't obvious to the players. A couple of my players have had to sit back and let other players do thing when thier characters "weren't there" and they've often comment on how they notice things or get ideas watching that they don't get while actually playing. The basic point remains -- if there is some observation/deduction/etc that, if missed/failed, will completely stop the plot & blocks all further progress... then it needs to be a "cannot fail" element. One option, of course -- and it can be a valid one -- is to go down the path of such a failure. They missed the clue(s), or got all the clues but assembled it wrong. They failed: the kidnappers murder the princess, or the Evil Cultists ritually-despoil the Royal Regalia and /NOBODY/ can ascend the Holy Throne, or the Elder Thing devours all the souls in the town, or what-have-you. But "MGF" suggests that, almost always, such abject failure is not the best choice. Quote C'es ne pas un .sig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilHibbs Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 7 minutes ago, g33k said: ... or the Elder Thing devours all the souls in the town, or what-have-you... But "MGF" suggests that, almost always, such abject failure is not the best choice. I dunno, sounds hilarious to me. That actually happened in one game I was playing in, we ignored the scenario link and moved on, and when we came back the town was a smoking ruin. Heigh ho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atgxtg Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 (edited) 58 minutes ago, g33k said: The basic point remains -- if there is some observation/deduction/etc that, if missed/failed, will completely stop the plot & blocks all further progress... then it needs to be a "cannot fail" element. Maybe, but that's not what I think this particular rule was mean't for. Hence Spot Obvious. The typical clues that a detective picks up usually aren't obvious. That's why the readers/audience are so impressed with the detective's ability to solve the mystery. If it were something obvious, they'd have solved it themselves in the first few minutes and not be all that impressed when the detective finally catches up with them. Quote One option, of course -- and it can be a valid one -- is to go down the path of such a failure. They missed the clue(s), or got all the clues but assembled it wrong. They failed: the kidnappers murder the princess, or the Evil Cultists ritually-despoil the Royal Regalia and /NOBODY/ can ascend the Holy Throne, or the Elder Thing devours all the souls in the town, or what-have-you. But "MGF" suggests that, almost always, such abject failure is not the best choice. That's a different sort of situation though. There are pros and cons to the GUMSHOE approach, but it should be discussed as different topic in another thread. Edited March 13, 2019 by Atgxtg Quote Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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