Perception?
- Thread starter Cymew
- Start date
I use the following:
What does the story need, balanced against skill/drama?
If they need to see the guy stalking them, to advance the plot, they do, no die roll.
If seeing a guy stalking them would make them run off into a firefight mid-street, then no.
If a clue needs to be found, they find it.
BUT if, for example there is a group of PCs walking through a jungle, and the enemy force has set up an ambush, then it is a case of any of the
following, depending on the system:
(MT)
For Point Man to Detect enemy Jungle Ambush:
Difficult (11+ on 2D), Recon, 30 Sec, (uncertain, confrontation) Off=Recon, Hunting Def=Recon, Combat Engineering
Total Truth means the Point Man has spotted, or detected the ambush through visual detection, noise, tracks, smell, or "Sixth Sense/Bad Feeling", without alerting the ambushers.
Some Truth means both sides have spotted each other simultaneously.
No Truth means the characters have been sighted by the enemy without noticing the ambush.
For the above task, if No Truth is the result, the Point man can stop, and retry the attempt at no penalty, thus "Scoping out the situation."
Of course, this might lead to the enemy deciding to open fire (because the Point stopped), or holding, letting the characters (or the point man) walk through, and hitting the characters when the majority of the party strolls through the "kill zone."
The above procedure also requires periodic "rolls to detect", even when there is no ambushing force.
So it becomes a game of cat and mouse...the side that is moving never really sure if there is anyone there until they spot the ambush, or are fired upon.
(T4)
Recon: Difficult (2.5D) (uncertain; Referee Rolls 1D)
Roll under sum of Point man's Recon Skill + END, (Difficulty DM - Enemy Recon Skill.)
Thus if the PC has
7 END
Recon 2
His target to roll under with 3D will be 9 - Enemy Recon Skill.
I have found it useful to have small tactical maps ready to go, then upon a "Random spot roll" Having the players set up miniatures on it, whether there is an ambush force or not. Usually, if there is no enemy force, the encounter is then with an animal, (harmful or not) or, (if appropriate) Enemy tracks, or an old campsite (buried fires, buried latrine pit), or other evidence (threads from clothing where an enemy soldier snagged it on a branch, a strip of cloth from a weapon-cleaning session, the smell of smoke.)
In all cases with evidence found, less is more.
Just saying, "You find one piece of cloth with gun oil on it, where it was dropped between a rock and a log." Has given parties fits of paranoia.
Stating something like: "You find an abandoned campsite, with fires still burning, and enemy documents lying around," is just totally ridiculous, in MOST cases.
Anyway, that's my experience, and the way I handle such things. If done right, players report "Tension headaches."
What does the story need, balanced against skill/drama?
If they need to see the guy stalking them, to advance the plot, they do, no die roll.
If seeing a guy stalking them would make them run off into a firefight mid-street, then no.
If a clue needs to be found, they find it.
BUT if, for example there is a group of PCs walking through a jungle, and the enemy force has set up an ambush, then it is a case of any of the
following, depending on the system:
(MT)
For Point Man to Detect enemy Jungle Ambush:
Difficult (11+ on 2D), Recon, 30 Sec, (uncertain, confrontation) Off=Recon, Hunting Def=Recon, Combat Engineering
Total Truth means the Point Man has spotted, or detected the ambush through visual detection, noise, tracks, smell, or "Sixth Sense/Bad Feeling", without alerting the ambushers.
Some Truth means both sides have spotted each other simultaneously.
No Truth means the characters have been sighted by the enemy without noticing the ambush.
For the above task, if No Truth is the result, the Point man can stop, and retry the attempt at no penalty, thus "Scoping out the situation."
Of course, this might lead to the enemy deciding to open fire (because the Point stopped), or holding, letting the characters (or the point man) walk through, and hitting the characters when the majority of the party strolls through the "kill zone."
The above procedure also requires periodic "rolls to detect", even when there is no ambushing force.
So it becomes a game of cat and mouse...the side that is moving never really sure if there is anyone there until they spot the ambush, or are fired upon.
(T4)
Recon: Difficult (2.5D) (uncertain; Referee Rolls 1D)
Roll under sum of Point man's Recon Skill + END, (Difficulty DM - Enemy Recon Skill.)
Thus if the PC has
7 END
Recon 2
His target to roll under with 3D will be 9 - Enemy Recon Skill.
I have found it useful to have small tactical maps ready to go, then upon a "Random spot roll" Having the players set up miniatures on it, whether there is an ambush force or not. Usually, if there is no enemy force, the encounter is then with an animal, (harmful or not) or, (if appropriate) Enemy tracks, or an old campsite (buried fires, buried latrine pit), or other evidence (threads from clothing where an enemy soldier snagged it on a branch, a strip of cloth from a weapon-cleaning session, the smell of smoke.)
In all cases with evidence found, less is more.
Just saying, "You find one piece of cloth with gun oil on it, where it was dropped between a rock and a log." Has given parties fits of paranoia.
Stating something like: "You find an abandoned campsite, with fires still burning, and enemy documents lying around," is just totally ridiculous, in MOST cases.
Anyway, that's my experience, and the way I handle such things. If done right, players report "Tension headaches."
I use the following:
What does the story need, balanced against skill/drama?
If they need to see the guy stalking them, to advance the plot, they do, no die roll.
If seeing a guy stalking them would make them run off into a firefight mid-street, then no.
If a clue needs to be found, they find it.
BUT if, for example there is a group of PCs walking through a jungle, and the enemy force has set up an ambush, then it is a case of any of the
following, depending on the system:
(MT)
For Point Man to Detect enemy Jungle Ambush:
Difficult (11+ on 2D), Recon, 30 Sec, (uncertain, confrontation) Off=Recon, Hunting Def=Recon, Combat Engineering
Total Truth means the Point Man has spotted, or detected the ambush through visual detection, noise, tracks, smell, or "Sixth Sense/Bad Feeling", without alerting the ambushers.
Some Truth means both sides have spotted each other simultaneously.
No Truth means the characters have been sighted by the enemy without noticing the ambush.
For the above task, if No Truth is the result, the Point man can stop, and retry the attempt at no penalty, thus "Scoping out the situation."
Of course, this might lead to the enemy deciding to open fire (because the Point stopped), or holding, letting the characters (or the point man) walk through, and hitting the characters when the majority of the party strolls through the "kill zone."
The above procedure also requires periodic "rolls to detect", even when there is no ambushing force.
So it becomes a game of cat and mouse...the side that is moving never really sure if there is anyone there until they spot the ambush, or are fired upon.
(T4)
Recon: Difficult (2.5D) (uncertain; Referee Rolls 1D)
Roll under sum of Point man's Recon Skill + END, (Difficulty DM - Enemy Recon Skill.)
Thus if the PC has
7 END
Recon 2
His target to roll under with 3D will be 9 - Enemy Recon Skill.
I have found it useful to have small tactical maps ready to go, then upon a "Random spot roll" Having the players set up miniatures on it, whether there is an ambush force or not. Usually, if there is no enemy force, the encounter is then with an animal, (harmful or not) or, (if appropriate) Enemy tracks, or an old campsite (buried fires, buried latrine pit), or other evidence (threads from clothing where an enemy soldier snagged it on a branch, a strip of cloth from a weapon-cleaning session, the smell of smoke.)
In all cases with evidence found, less is more.
Just saying, "You find one piece of cloth with gun oil on it, where it was dropped between a rock and a log." Has given parties fits of paranoia.
Stating something like: "You find an abandoned campsite, with fires still burning, and enemy documents lying around," is just totally ridiculous, in MOST cases.
Anyway, that's my experience, and the way I handle such things. If done right, players report "Tension headaches."
What does the story need, balanced against skill/drama?
If they need to see the guy stalking them, to advance the plot, they do, no die roll.
If seeing a guy stalking them would make them run off into a firefight mid-street, then no.
If a clue needs to be found, they find it.
BUT if, for example there is a group of PCs walking through a jungle, and the enemy force has set up an ambush, then it is a case of any of the
following, depending on the system:
(MT)
For Point Man to Detect enemy Jungle Ambush:
Difficult (11+ on 2D), Recon, 30 Sec, (uncertain, confrontation) Off=Recon, Hunting Def=Recon, Combat Engineering
Total Truth means the Point Man has spotted, or detected the ambush through visual detection, noise, tracks, smell, or "Sixth Sense/Bad Feeling", without alerting the ambushers.
Some Truth means both sides have spotted each other simultaneously.
No Truth means the characters have been sighted by the enemy without noticing the ambush.
For the above task, if No Truth is the result, the Point man can stop, and retry the attempt at no penalty, thus "Scoping out the situation."
Of course, this might lead to the enemy deciding to open fire (because the Point stopped), or holding, letting the characters (or the point man) walk through, and hitting the characters when the majority of the party strolls through the "kill zone."
The above procedure also requires periodic "rolls to detect", even when there is no ambushing force.
So it becomes a game of cat and mouse...the side that is moving never really sure if there is anyone there until they spot the ambush, or are fired upon.
(T4)
Recon: Difficult (2.5D) (uncertain; Referee Rolls 1D)
Roll under sum of Point man's Recon Skill + END, (Difficulty DM - Enemy Recon Skill.)
Thus if the PC has
7 END
Recon 2
His target to roll under with 3D will be 9 - Enemy Recon Skill.
I have found it useful to have small tactical maps ready to go, then upon a "Random spot roll" Having the players set up miniatures on it, whether there is an ambush force or not. Usually, if there is no enemy force, the encounter is then with an animal, (harmful or not) or, (if appropriate) Enemy tracks, or an old campsite (buried fires, buried latrine pit), or other evidence (threads from clothing where an enemy soldier snagged it on a branch, a strip of cloth from a weapon-cleaning session, the smell of smoke.)
In all cases with evidence found, less is more.
Just saying, "You find one piece of cloth with gun oil on it, where it was dropped between a rock and a log." Has given parties fits of paranoia.
Stating something like: "You find an abandoned campsite, with fires still burning, and enemy documents lying around," is just totally ridiculous, in MOST cases.
Anyway, that's my experience, and the way I handle such things. If done right, players report "Tension headaches."
I use the following:
What does the story need, balanced against skill/drama?
If they need to see the guy stalking them, to advance the plot, they do, no die roll.
If seeing a guy stalking them would make them run off into a firefight mid-street, then no.
If a clue needs to be found, they find it.
BUT if, for example there is a group of PCs walking through a jungle, and the enemy force has set up an ambush, then it is a case of any of the
following, depending on the system:
(MT)
For Point Man to Detect enemy Jungle Ambush:
Difficult (11+ on 2D), Recon, 30 Sec, (uncertain, confrontation) Off=Recon, Hunting Def=Recon, Combat Engineering
Total Truth means the Point Man has spotted, or detected the ambush through visual detection, noise, tracks, smell, or "Sixth Sense/Bad Feeling", without alerting the ambushers.
Some Truth means both sides have spotted each other simultaneously.
No Truth means the characters have been sighted by the enemy without noticing the ambush.
For the above task, if No Truth is the result, the Point man can stop, and retry the attempt at no penalty, thus "Scoping out the situation."
Of course, this might lead to the enemy deciding to open fire (because the Point stopped), or holding, letting the characters (or the point man) walk through, and hitting the characters when the majority of the party strolls through the "kill zone."
The above procedure also requires periodic "rolls to detect", even when there is no ambushing force.
So it becomes a game of cat and mouse...the side that is moving never really sure if there is anyone there until they spot the ambush, or are fired upon.
(T4)
Recon: Difficult (2.5D) (uncertain; Referee Rolls 1D)
Roll under sum of Point man's Recon Skill + END, (Difficulty DM - Enemy Recon Skill.)
Thus if the PC has
7 END
Recon 2
His target to roll under with 3D will be 9 - Enemy Recon Skill.
I have found it useful to have small tactical maps ready to go, then upon a "Random spot roll" Having the players set up miniatures on it, whether there is an ambush force or not. Usually, if there is no enemy force, the encounter is then with an animal, (harmful or not) or, (if appropriate) Enemy tracks, or an old campsite (buried fires, buried latrine pit), or other evidence (threads from clothing where an enemy soldier snagged it on a branch, a strip of cloth from a weapon-cleaning session, the smell of smoke.)
In all cases with evidence found, less is more.
Just saying, "You find one piece of cloth with gun oil on it, where it was dropped between a rock and a log." Has given parties fits of paranoia.
Stating something like: "You find an abandoned campsite, with fires still burning, and enemy documents lying around," is just totally ridiculous, in MOST cases.
Anyway, that's my experience, and the way I handle such things. If done right, players report "Tension headaches."
What does the story need, balanced against skill/drama?
If they need to see the guy stalking them, to advance the plot, they do, no die roll.
If seeing a guy stalking them would make them run off into a firefight mid-street, then no.
If a clue needs to be found, they find it.
BUT if, for example there is a group of PCs walking through a jungle, and the enemy force has set up an ambush, then it is a case of any of the
following, depending on the system:
(MT)
For Point Man to Detect enemy Jungle Ambush:
Difficult (11+ on 2D), Recon, 30 Sec, (uncertain, confrontation) Off=Recon, Hunting Def=Recon, Combat Engineering
Total Truth means the Point Man has spotted, or detected the ambush through visual detection, noise, tracks, smell, or "Sixth Sense/Bad Feeling", without alerting the ambushers.
Some Truth means both sides have spotted each other simultaneously.
No Truth means the characters have been sighted by the enemy without noticing the ambush.
For the above task, if No Truth is the result, the Point man can stop, and retry the attempt at no penalty, thus "Scoping out the situation."
Of course, this might lead to the enemy deciding to open fire (because the Point stopped), or holding, letting the characters (or the point man) walk through, and hitting the characters when the majority of the party strolls through the "kill zone."
The above procedure also requires periodic "rolls to detect", even when there is no ambushing force.
So it becomes a game of cat and mouse...the side that is moving never really sure if there is anyone there until they spot the ambush, or are fired upon.
(T4)
Recon: Difficult (2.5D) (uncertain; Referee Rolls 1D)
Roll under sum of Point man's Recon Skill + END, (Difficulty DM - Enemy Recon Skill.)
Thus if the PC has
7 END
Recon 2
His target to roll under with 3D will be 9 - Enemy Recon Skill.
I have found it useful to have small tactical maps ready to go, then upon a "Random spot roll" Having the players set up miniatures on it, whether there is an ambush force or not. Usually, if there is no enemy force, the encounter is then with an animal, (harmful or not) or, (if appropriate) Enemy tracks, or an old campsite (buried fires, buried latrine pit), or other evidence (threads from clothing where an enemy soldier snagged it on a branch, a strip of cloth from a weapon-cleaning session, the smell of smoke.)
In all cases with evidence found, less is more.
Just saying, "You find one piece of cloth with gun oil on it, where it was dropped between a rock and a log." Has given parties fits of paranoia.
Stating something like: "You find an abandoned campsite, with fires still burning, and enemy documents lying around," is just totally ridiculous, in MOST cases.
Anyway, that's my experience, and the way I handle such things. If done right, players report "Tension headaches."
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