Jack-o-Trades (new/old method)

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:
What's the difference in a dude that has JOT-1 and JOT-4, in your game?

JoT confers (skill)-0, so there are no levels - a character who rolls JoT a second time gets to re-roll.

I don't ever allow JoT to overshadow (skill)-1.

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:
What's the difference in a dude that has JOT-1 and JOT-4, in your game?

JoT confers (skill)-0, so there are no levels - a character who rolls JoT a second time gets to re-roll.

I don't ever allow JoT to overshadow (skill)-1.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Black Globe Generator:
JoT confers (skill)-0, so there are no levels - a character who rolls JoT a second time gets to re-roll.

I've seen that before. Wasn't that how it was done in MT? You've got JOT-5, so you get 5 re-tries to roll a task?

I don't ever allow JoT to overshadow (skill)-1.

Heck, I wouldn't either--which is why I like the "eats up negative DMs" idea for JOT. The best you could ever get is a DM of +0 that way. Skill-1 would give you a +1DM.

Now, if you didn't allow JOT and skill to be used at the same time, I could see JOT overshadowing Skill-1.

For example, Dunci needs to make a Navigation check to figure out where they are. Dunci has JOT-2 and Navigation-1.

The ship has misjumped, and they're close to a strange void. The GM decides that a standard 8+ Nav check would be required under normal circumstances, but since the ship is in new waters, the GM is imposing a -2DM to the roll.

If Dunci used his JOT skill to eat up the -2DM, he'd then use his Navigation-1 skill as a positive DM, rolling 2D +1 for 8+.

Now, if you didn't allow that to happen (use JOT and Navigation...one or the other), JOT would surely overshadow Dunci's Nav skill.

Using JOT only: the roll is 2D for 8+.

Using Nav only: the roll is 2D +1 -2 for 8+.

Obviously, JOT is the better way to go.

Myself, if I used this method of JOT eating up negative DMs (haven't decided if I'm going to use it yet in my game), I'd allow both.


But....


If I understand you correctly, you allow one free re-roll for each level of JOT skill.

So, given the example above, Dunci would roll:

2D +1 -2 for 8+

And, if he fails, he'll be able to try the roll twice more.

In this case, I actually think JOT IS overshadowing Dunci's Nav skill.

Here's why. On this roll, (2D +1 -2 for 8+), Dunci has a 28% chance of success.

But, if Dunci gets to make that roll three times, he's actually got a 84% of making the roll at least once on one of those three rolls.

That JOT re-roll thing is giving Dunci quite a boost in his probability of making the roll--from 28% chance of success to 84% chance of success.

IF you allow Dunci to eat up his DM negatives with his JOT skill, you're not quite letting the JOT skill be so powerful.

Using JOT to eat of the negatives, Dunci's roll becomes:

2D +1 for 8+.

And, that's a 58% chance of success. Dunci went from a 28% chance of success to a 58% chance of success--which, I think, is much more reasonable than what you've mentioned with the retries equal to JOT skill level.

Just some food for thought.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Black Globe Generator:
JoT confers (skill)-0, so there are no levels - a character who rolls JoT a second time gets to re-roll.

I've seen that before. Wasn't that how it was done in MT? You've got JOT-5, so you get 5 re-tries to roll a task?

I don't ever allow JoT to overshadow (skill)-1.

Heck, I wouldn't either--which is why I like the "eats up negative DMs" idea for JOT. The best you could ever get is a DM of +0 that way. Skill-1 would give you a +1DM.

Now, if you didn't allow JOT and skill to be used at the same time, I could see JOT overshadowing Skill-1.

For example, Dunci needs to make a Navigation check to figure out where they are. Dunci has JOT-2 and Navigation-1.

The ship has misjumped, and they're close to a strange void. The GM decides that a standard 8+ Nav check would be required under normal circumstances, but since the ship is in new waters, the GM is imposing a -2DM to the roll.

If Dunci used his JOT skill to eat up the -2DM, he'd then use his Navigation-1 skill as a positive DM, rolling 2D +1 for 8+.

Now, if you didn't allow that to happen (use JOT and Navigation...one or the other), JOT would surely overshadow Dunci's Nav skill.

Using JOT only: the roll is 2D for 8+.

Using Nav only: the roll is 2D +1 -2 for 8+.

Obviously, JOT is the better way to go.

Myself, if I used this method of JOT eating up negative DMs (haven't decided if I'm going to use it yet in my game), I'd allow both.


But....


If I understand you correctly, you allow one free re-roll for each level of JOT skill.

So, given the example above, Dunci would roll:

2D +1 -2 for 8+

And, if he fails, he'll be able to try the roll twice more.

In this case, I actually think JOT IS overshadowing Dunci's Nav skill.

Here's why. On this roll, (2D +1 -2 for 8+), Dunci has a 28% chance of success.

But, if Dunci gets to make that roll three times, he's actually got a 84% of making the roll at least once on one of those three rolls.

That JOT re-roll thing is giving Dunci quite a boost in his probability of making the roll--from 28% chance of success to 84% chance of success.

IF you allow Dunci to eat up his DM negatives with his JOT skill, you're not quite letting the JOT skill be so powerful.

Using JOT to eat of the negatives, Dunci's roll becomes:

2D +1 for 8+.

And, that's a 58% chance of success. Dunci went from a 28% chance of success to a 58% chance of success--which, I think, is much more reasonable than what you've mentioned with the retries equal to JOT skill level.

Just some food for thought.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Black Globe Generator:
JoT confers (skill)-0, so there are no levels - a character who rolls JoT a second time gets to re-roll.(skill)-1.

Reading your answer a second time, I may have misread it the first time.

Are you saying that, during character generation, you only allow a character to get JOT-1? Any time JOT is rolled after that, you mak them re-roll a different skill?

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Black Globe Generator:
JoT confers (skill)-0, so there are no levels - a character who rolls JoT a second time gets to re-roll.(skill)-1.

Reading your answer a second time, I may have misread it the first time.

Are you saying that, during character generation, you only allow a character to get JOT-1? Any time JOT is rolled after that, you mak them re-roll a different skill?

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:
Reading your answer a second time, I may have misread it the first time.

You did.

Originally posted by Supplement Four:
Are you saying that, during character generation, you only allow a character to get JOT-1? Any time JOT is rolled after that, you mak them re-roll a different skill?

That's correct.

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:
Reading your answer a second time, I may have misread it the first time.

You did.

Originally posted by Supplement Four:
Are you saying that, during character generation, you only allow a character to get JOT-1? Any time JOT is rolled after that, you mak them re-roll a different skill?

That's correct.