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Independent Game Forums => one.seven design => Topic started by: Hans on September 10, 2008, 12:48:10 PM

Title: Helping Dice: rejectable?
Post by: Hans on September 10, 2008, 12:48:10 PM
Hi:

About to run Agon for the first time this month.  One question:  can a player reject an offer of aid?  Or must they accept it?  I cannot find in the rule book where is say it can be rejected, but I can also see that being assumed as common sense. 

I can see it working both ways.
Title: Re: Helping Dice: rejectable?
Post by: Darren Hill on September 10, 2008, 02:21:22 PM
I've always played it that they can not be rejected, if the max roll on the die is greater than the current total. (that last is to stop people giving a d4 when the roll they need to beat is, say, 8).
Giving helping dice is a great way of getting an oath from someone, whether they like it or not! :)
Title: Re: Helping Dice: rejectable?
Post by: Hans on September 10, 2008, 05:12:08 PM
Darren, I like your rule very much, and think I might use it, regardless.  It seems to be nice balanced.

It is a house rule, though, right?  That is, it's not in the book anywhere?  Could you or someone else give me your impression of what the book rule is?
Title: Re: Helping Dice: rejectable?
Post by: Darren Hill on September 10, 2008, 05:37:21 PM
I got the impression from the rules that helping dice couldn't be rejected: I'm sure there's some text, somewhere, that says Helping Dice are a good way to force Oaths out of people. But I don't think it's stated explicitly, so I may be wrong.
The bit of about needing to use a die size big enough to make a difference is my rule, yes.
Title: Re: Helping Dice: rejectable?
Post by: Mel White on September 10, 2008, 06:30:32 PM
I also play on the lines of helping dice cannot be rejected, regardless of die size versus obstacle.  I see the point of putting some restraints on the helping die, but I've also seen d6s 'open-ended' to then reach totals of 18, 22, etc.  So, there is a slim chance that even a d4 helping die could meet a high obstacle.  The 'oath economy' (th exchange of oaths and hlp back and forth) is, I think, a big part of the game and so there is certainly no language in the book that talks about rejecting help. 
Mel
Title: Re: Helping Dice: rejectable?
Post by: Darren Hill on September 10, 2008, 08:46:28 PM
Quote from: Mel White on September 10, 2008, 06:30:32 PM
I see the point of putting some restraints on the helping die, but I've also seen d6s 'open-ended' to then reach totals of 18, 22, etc.  So, there is a slim chance that even a d4 helping die could meet a high obstacle.
This is true, but since Divine Favour needs to be used to get the reroll, and the victim - I mean, person being helped - may not have it, or may not want to use it. For me, it's a little too much extra cost on top of the oath.
Title: Re: Helping Dice: rejectable?
Post by: John Harper on October 01, 2008, 10:01:15 PM
The book doesn't quite say explicitly, but it strongly implies that you can't reject a helping die. That's how I play it, anyway.