Technophobia/Consequences: Difference between revisions

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Created page with "==What are Consequences== When you roll less than 10 on a skill check (or less than 20 on a RISKY skill check), you suffer the established consequences. Since NPCs don’t act on their own in narrative play, these complications and consequences are the main tools the GM has for responding to player action. Before a roll is made, the GM must outline the consequences of failure. They can only inflict consequences that are clearly established this way. The nature of the co..."
 
 
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[[Technophobia|Back]]
==What are Consequences==
==What are Consequences==
When you roll less than 10 on a skill check (or less than 20 on a RISKY skill check), you suffer the established consequences. Since NPCs don’t act on their own in narrative play, these complications and consequences are the main tools the GM has for responding to player action.
When you roll less than 10 on a skill check (or less than 20 on a RISKY skill check), you suffer the established consequences. Since NPCs don’t act on their own in narrative play, these complications and consequences are the main tools the GM has for responding to player action.
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Here are some examples of consequences or complications that might apply to a roll:
Here are some examples of consequences or complications that might apply to a roll:


===HARM===
;HARM
Damage, injury, or bodily harm. If you try to take control of the gun someone’s pointing at you and fail, you’re probably going to get hurt. Most of the time, established harm results in 1-2 damage, but getting shot at close range could cause 3–4 damage and truly deadly harm might cause 6 damage or more.
Damage, injury, or bodily harm. If you try to take control of the gun someone’s pointing at you and fail, you’re probably going to get hurt. Most of the time, established harm results in 1-2 damage, but getting shot at close range could cause 3–4 damage and truly deadly harm might cause 6 damage or more.


===TIME===
;TIME
The action takes longer than usual. In a calm environment, you can hack any console – and this one is no exception – but under fire and half-dressed, it’s going to take a lot longer.
The action takes longer than usual. In a calm environment, you can hack any console – and this one is no exception – but under fire and half-dressed, it’s going to take a lot longer.


===RESOURCES===
;RESOURCES
Something must be used up, lost, or temporarily exhausted. This could be something concrete like running out of ammunition, losing a map, or your gun jamming, or it might be a social resource – reputation, political power, favor, and so on – that you need to spend in the process of completing your objective.
Something must be used up, lost, or temporarily exhausted. This could be something concrete like running out of ammunition, losing a map, or your gun jamming, or it might be a social resource – reputation, political power, favor, and so on – that you need to spend in the process of completing your objective.


===COLLATERAL===
;COLLATERAL
Someone or something other than yourself or your intended target takes harm or injury, or is put in danger. This could be an innocent bystander, an ally, the whole building, or an organization you belong to.
Someone or something other than yourself or your intended target takes harm or injury, or is put in danger. This could be an innocent bystander, an ally, the whole building, or an organization you belong to.


===POSITION===
;POSITION
Your actions put you in a worse position: right in the line of fire, clinging to the edge of a cliff, in the bad graces of the baron, or under a spotlight.
Your actions put you in a worse position: right in the line of fire, clinging to the edge of a cliff, in the bad graces of the baron, or under a spotlight.


===EFFECT===
;EFFECT
Your action is less effective than intended. If you’re trying to kill someone, you merely injure them. If you’re trying to sneak away undetected, you make a lot more noise than you hoped. If you’re fixing a broken door, it only opens for a few people at a time.
Your action is less effective than intended. If you’re trying to kill someone, you merely injure them. If you’re trying to sneak away undetected, you make a lot more noise than you hoped. If you’re fixing a broken door, it only opens for a few people at a time.
==And here are some examples of what these consequences might look like in practice==
===HARM===
A player makes a skill check to knock out someone who just drew a knife on them. They fail their roll, meaning they don’t knock their target outand they take a nasty slash for 2 damage.
===TIME===
A player makes a RISKY skill check to charm the baron’s seneschal into granting them an audience. They succeed, but don’t get 20+: the baron lets them stew for a few hours, but finally meets with them. As a result, the players miss their appointment with a weapons broker.
===RESOURCES===
A player makes a skill check to patch up an NPC’s wounds, and fails. Not only does the NPC bleed out and die, but the player runs out of medical supplies trying to treat them.
===COLLATERAL===
A player fails a skill check to blow up a door. The door’s blown open, but the whole building starts to collapse.
===POSITION===
While infiltrating a hidden base, a player makes a RISKY skill check to assassinate a target with a sniper rifle. They succeed but don’t get 20+. They kill their target but have to fire several times, alerting the entire base.
===EFFECT===
A player makes a RISKY skill check to sabotage a security system and succeeds, but doesn’t get 20+. They only manage to shut it down for five minutes, giving their team limited time to act.

Latest revision as of 21:51, 14 November 2025

Back

What are Consequences[edit]

When you roll less than 10 on a skill check (or less than 20 on a RISKY skill check), you suffer the established consequences. Since NPCs don’t act on their own in narrative play, these complications and consequences are the main tools the GM has for responding to player action.

Before a roll is made, the GM must outline the consequences of failure. They can only inflict consequences that are clearly established this way. The nature of the consequences depends on the skill check and situation. For example, if you’re trying to take someone out with a sniper rifle at 200 meters and they have no way to see you or fire back, it’s unlikely that failing the roll will immediately result in you being shot. If you’re in a melee struggling over someone else’s gun, the possibility of getting shot is much higher.

Here are some examples of consequences or complications that might apply to a roll:

HARM

Damage, injury, or bodily harm. If you try to take control of the gun someone’s pointing at you and fail, you’re probably going to get hurt. Most of the time, established harm results in 1-2 damage, but getting shot at close range could cause 3–4 damage and truly deadly harm might cause 6 damage or more.

TIME

The action takes longer than usual. In a calm environment, you can hack any console – and this one is no exception – but under fire and half-dressed, it’s going to take a lot longer.

RESOURCES

Something must be used up, lost, or temporarily exhausted. This could be something concrete like running out of ammunition, losing a map, or your gun jamming, or it might be a social resource – reputation, political power, favor, and so on – that you need to spend in the process of completing your objective.

COLLATERAL

Someone or something other than yourself or your intended target takes harm or injury, or is put in danger. This could be an innocent bystander, an ally, the whole building, or an organization you belong to.

POSITION

Your actions put you in a worse position: right in the line of fire, clinging to the edge of a cliff, in the bad graces of the baron, or under a spotlight.

EFFECT

Your action is less effective than intended. If you’re trying to kill someone, you merely injure them. If you’re trying to sneak away undetected, you make a lot more noise than you hoped. If you’re fixing a broken door, it only opens for a few people at a time.

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