thread: 2011-10-18 : Going Into Darkness pt2
On 2011-11-07, stefoid wrote:
I like the idea of desperate, and how it can work against considered action, but...
It doesnt seem transient enough, like its a characterization thing rather than situational. And I can only use it to intimidate or threaten?
For me, desperation offers an alternate style of success bonus to resolve, in a situational sense - heart pumping, adrenalin-juiced hysterical strength and reaction time type of desperation.
Something like: when your character does something that is reckless, impulsive or instinctual, add your desperation to the roll.
So its a bit like resolve, but it should probably build from failure while resolve builds from sucess. And it should probably dwindle with success. So as you fail, you get more desperate, but that only helps if you take desperate action, and it works against you if you take delibertate, considered action.
The idea of a desperate character by nature (history) rather than situational desperation could still be worked in though. Desperate characters of the sort you are imagining have a higher tollerance for their desperation. i.e. more resistance to desperation interfering with considered action. So a hardened criminal under duress (desperation mounting) is still able to take considered action without penalty, whereas a privelleged lady with 0 desperation in her background would quickly go to pieces as her desperation mounted, at least as far as considered action goes.
