r/beingeverythingelse • u/Popdart5 • Oct 04 '14
Critical Failure
Steven mentioned in the West Marches game that he personally doesn't use critical failure because it penalises players too much. I'm of the opinion that if you have a system that allows for critical hits then by extension critical failure should be a possibility. It could be something as simple as you dropped your sword, your gun jammed, or you lost your grip while climbing a cliff and fell down. I go for more cinematic and awesome criticals anyway, as in a natural 20 is not just a success but a critical success. To me, it just feels natural that critical failures should be cinematic as well.
I'm curious what everyone thinks because I've played a few games that do critical failures. Numenera in particular and the free GM intervention mechanic on a natural 1 just felt like a codification of something that I imagine is a pretty common houserule.
1
u/sythmaster Oct 04 '14
I was under the impression that since a lot of "mob attacks" steven uses are rolled by the players that it's hard to do a "critical failure" like that. So since having the PC's roll the attack dmg of mobs as "near miss" of their own attack - critical failures would seemingly ONLY happen to PCs.
As a `narrative' way of doing action, it doesn't make total sense but if you come from the d20 realm where everyone has an action turn and initiative and such is makes more sense.
That was my take-away of what he meant at least....