Events and Mishaps tables

[DonM]

Ok, the differences and inconsistencies in Mongoose's Events and Mishaps tables are driving me crazy between books, and even between careers in the same book.

Has anyone else done some analysis on this? I'm ready to drop them all in to spreadsheets and start suggesting some general rules, but if anyone else has gone down this road of madness, I'd enjoy some company.

 

[CosmicGamer]

You will have to elaborate on these "differences and inconsistencies".

The difference between a single d6 mishap table and a 2d6 and/or the difference between a 2d6 event table and a d6d6? I haven't noticed this within the same book.

Something else?

 

[pendragonman]

Look at the roll of, say, a 3 a 5 and a 7 on each table of mishaps. If I am understanding Don correctly, on one career table a roll of X is a BAD THING but the same roll X on a different career is a GOOD THING.

He is looking for consistency on each of these tables. Like rolling a 2, regardless of career path, is a BAD THING and a 12 is always a GOOD THING or some combination therein.

If I am not understanding Don, please correct me.

 

[DickNervous]

In the core book all the Event rolls are 2d6 and several rolls are pretty much the same across careers:

- 2 is always bad (sending you to the Mishap table)
- 7 sends you to the Life Events table
- 10 usually grants a +DM on a benefit roll
- 11 usually results in a bonus to your next advancement roll and sometimes with an option to take a skill or something instead
- 12 is always really good (usually a promotion)

Mishap tables are always 1d6, and 1 always sends you to the Injury table (sometimes for 2 rolls). Otherwise they are much more tailored to the associated careers.

A roll of 6 for Military careers (and Rogue) will also send you to the injury table. But for other careers it is a mixed bag.

If you really want to drive yourself nuts, look at the expanded tables in the LBBs. Mercenary adds a d66 events table and 2d6 mishap table for Army and Marine characters. o:

Of course you can also start looking at the tables that SPICA provides in their career books to really get your head spinning...

 

[Timerover51]

Why should the same die roll always have the same type of result across a variety of tables? When working up a table of events or mishaps, I specifically avoid that. Strikes me as too boring to have the same type of thing happen.

 

[rancke]

Why should the same die roll always have the same type of result across a variety of tables?

It gives similar events the same probabilities?


Hans

 

[GypsyComet]

I'm not convinced that is needed, considering the range of careers.

 

[rancke]

I'm not convinced that is needed, considering the range of careers.

<shrug>

Or maybe the writers just worked to a pattern without any other motive than to make the work easier.


Hans

 

[DickNervous]

Being that 2d6 generate results that are on a Bell Curve it would make sense that the extreme results would be at 2 and 12. And you would then work your way towards the most common result at 7. If you look at the Event tables they pretty much follow this pattern. The results that have the biggest impact on the character are at 2 and 12 and the as you work towards 7 they become less impact.

The Mishaps table is 1d6 so all options have the same probability, so it makes sense that there is no real patter for those. This goes for the d66 tables as well. Every roll is equal probability.

 

[CosmicGamer]

It gives similar events the same probabilities?

I recall thinking once that the event tables should be "imbalanced" to help promote balance.

That may sound strange, but the thing is that different careers already different elsewhere and the events may help equal things out. Here is one example. Different chance of promotion. A career with a higher likelihood of promotion = more skills from the promotion itself and from possible skills gained at specific ranks. So in this case, the events tables for a carer where promotions are hard to come by might have more events that can result in gaining a skill.

Some of the "imbalance" may be due to logic/simulation. Here is one example. Some jobs are more physical and more likely to have people injured.

Is it imbalance, is it balance, is it realistic? shrug Different people may see it differently but (IMO) there is little need to debate or criticize as I think the career gen skills, benefits, events, and mishaps are one of the easiest things to customize to your own liking.

And no matter how "balanced" you make it, even making events and mishap tables 100% identical!, the end result is random and two characters can still turn out quite different. So what is the purpose of this so called balance?

 

[Shonner]

I never saw it as a problem when programming my Mongoose Chargen app.

 

[Cryton]

In the core book all the Event rolls are 2d6 and several rolls are pretty much the same across careers:

- 2 is always bad (sending you to the Mishap table)
- 7 sends you to the Life Events table
- 10 usually grants a +DM on a benefit roll
- 11 usually results in a bonus to your next advancement roll and sometimes with an option to take a skill or something instead
- 12 is always really good (usually a promotion)

Mishap tables are always 1d6, and 1 always sends you to the Injury table (sometimes for 2 rolls). Otherwise they are much more tailored to the associated careers.

A roll of 6 for Military careers (and Rogue) will also send you to the injury table. But for other careers it is a mixed bag.

If you really want to drive yourself nuts, look at the expanded tables in the LBBs. Mercenary adds a d66 events table and 2d6 mishap table for Army and Marine characters. o:

Of course you can also start looking at the tables that SPICA provides in their career books to really get your head spinning...

That about covers it. Nice breakdown too.

 

[DonM]

Now... that needs to be written up as a guideline for career design.

Thank you... drop me a PM for attribution, please?

 

[Daidoji Dave]

I recall thinking once that the event tables should be "imbalanced" to help promote balance.

That may sound strange, but the thing is that different careers already different elsewhere and the events may help equal things out. Here is one example. Different chance of promotion. A career with a higher likelihood of promotion = more skills from the promotion itself and from possible skills gained at specific ranks. So in this case, the events tables for a carer where promotions are hard to come by might have more events that can result in gaining a skill.

That's my thinking. And I'd add survival rolls to promotion; those two just aren't the same across the board, and I'm not opposed to throwing a bone somewhere.

As an aside, not having all the supplements, and not liking to flip back and forth anyway, I prefer to stick to the 2d6 chart in the core book, except that a roll of 7 checks, first, to see if I have any custom campaign-specific Events for that career, and second, to a d66 chart after all (if in fact someone has that book). Actual life events are a last resort, and I don't have to worry if the d66 charts are balanced against the core book.