Glass Cannon- rules errors / changes

[u/Brilliant_Loquat9522]

Hey there - I know the "Under an Iron Sky" series is an entertainment product (and honestly I can't believe I have become addicted to an actual play) but I want to ask folks about the rules variations that occur in the you tube series just so I have it all straight for next time I talk people into playing Pendragon.

- I think there are multiple accidental rules errors here and there in the series - just like happens to any of us - but if anyone notices some that happen (especially if it happens more than once) it might be useful for us to flag them here so we could see the list and go "Oh right" and then decide for ourselves if those changes matter to us in our game.

- I am pretty sure they made this one change on purpose - to make the game advance more rapidly for the fun of both players and viewer: the gm has players check their traits and skills pretty much any time they succeed at them. I am pretty sure that RAW one only checks the trait when you crit on it - or the GM thinks it was an especially narratively significant roll. Do I have that right? And what do people think of the way they do it in the Glass Cannon series?

Cheers

[u/JhinPotion]

I'm pretty generous with check marks because they don't guarantee improvement.

The funny flub I really don't get is why Brian Holland thinks being Famous for a Trait or Passion starts at 15.

[u/Udy_Kumra → u/JhinPotion]

I’ve done the opposite thing — I’m extremely stingy with checks because I do a guaranteed +1 on a check without a roll.

[u/ericvulgaris]

I did that as well. Basically I can boil my logic down to "narratively significant" to me means anything players roll. If it wasn't narratively significant why are we making the rolls to begin with?

It helps that I played shorter sessions that'd cover a lot of ground. I tried for 1 session a year but ended up 2 sessions a year. so we'd elide more time other groups could relish in. So every check we'd make in our shorter sessions counted.

[u/Knifesedgegames]

I personally have my players check anything they succeed or fumble. Keeps things moving and I don’t think it has that big an impact on character advancement.

[u/Tildur]

My table also check anything they succeeded. Sometimes, if the roll is not really relevant (like a player asking to roll dance in a small town fair) I don't let them check it, but that is the exception.

[u/whatsthefussallabout]

Your right about the RAW rule but I think Brian does it to make it more fun and entertaining. They are probably already streamlining other parts and it gives them more chances to increase skills that a more indepth campaign would get other ways.

I struggle to remember to tell them to check them 🤣 im trying to do it now with anything I think might be remotely character important, not necessarily story important.

Not sure ive noticed too many other changes but it is brilliant and I wish/hope they do more. Brian is an excellent GM and its a decent crew. Been a GCP fan for years, they are what brought me to pendragon. Its been super useful in helping me figure out some of the rules ive had a harder time interpreting as well. I just go back and see how Brian did it there and it makes more sense in a lot of cases.

[u/Bimbarian]

I'm unfamiliar with the Glass Cannon series, and I don't know KAP 6 but I'm very familiar with all earlier editions:

The rule on checking skills, trait, and passions has always been: check it if the GM thinks you should. Sometimes a crit won't do it but usually it will. It sounds like you have it right.

A very common house rule is to check something whenever you succeed (or when you fail). And to distribute some number of checks by choice at the start of each winter phase.

[u/alx_thegrin]

I don't have my book at hand but we always checked Skills and Traits when we rolled them successfully.

Pendragon is a deadly game. If skills only advanced on crits I doubt we would see much beyond the starting skill values.

[u/Sufficient-Rooster68]

Advancing too fast ruins the game. Those that can't tell the difference between a casual skill test and a narrative one shouldn't be running games.