Sorcerer: Back to Basics Questions

[Andy Kitkowski]

Hey all- I'm going to be running another Sorcerer game starting next month.  Rereading the Sorcerer collection is a blast, but I realized that I had some questions about a few things that I wanted to get sorted out before I run.  Just baby steps towards mastery of the system.

I'm sure I'll have more, but here's the ones I remember from my Core Book reading last night, plus a reading of the Martial Arts section of Sex and Sorcery.

1: Die rolls
One instance wasn't addressed in the three examples, and just wanted a confirmation of what others do in situations where one player ends up with a number of high dice more than one, and ties with another.

Player A (Will 4) is doing something against Player B (Will 5).  They both roll their Willpower, for example. They roll d10s:

Player A: 8, 8, 8, 5
Player B: 8, 7, 6, 3, 2

Would you simple discard ONE high die for the tie (leaving player A with two successes) or ALL high dice for the tie (leaving player B with two successes)?

2: Combat (it's always combat, isn't it?).

I'm using combat over simple conflict for this example, because there are "wound results" to consider.

PCs A and B, NPC big baddie C.

PC A hits baddie C, gets 3 successes.  He wants to use those not as Victories (in other words, not to accumulate damage), but to pass them on as bonus dice to PC B, who is also attacking baddie C next.  PC B makes his attack roll.

Clarification: those successes simply pass to PC B as extra dice, with no damage to baddie C, right?  You don't give baddie C damage AND give PC B dice for his next attack, right?

3: Sex & Sorcery: Martial Arts

p. 69: Bottom, re rolling Lore vs another's Stamina:
"A sucecssful roll means that the character may use the rules in Sorcerer & Sword about saving victories across rolls, as long as the links are followed."

Is that a misprint?  Isn't it referencing the basic Sorcerer rule about saving victories from one roll to apply to the next?  Unfortunately, I left my Sor&Sword book at home, so I can't reference it now, but if I'm wrong, could someone point my to this rule (page, area) of Sor&Sword?

Thanks, all!

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Andy!

Let's run it down by the numbers.

1: Die rolls
Player A (Will 4) is doing something against Player B (Will 5). They both roll their Willpower, for example. They roll d10s:

Player A: 8, 8, 8, 5
Player B: 8, 7, 6, 3, 2

Would you simple discard ONE high die for the tie (leaving player A with two successes) or ALL high dice for the tie (leaving player B with two successes)?

Player A has won with two successes. No controversy, no ambiguity, and don't talk yourself into weird concepts.

2: Combat (it's always combat, isn't it?).

I'm using combat over simple conflict for this example, because there are "wound results" to consider.

PCs A and B, NPC big baddie C.

PC A hits baddie C, gets 3 successes. He wants to use those not as Victories (in other words, not to accumulate damage), but to pass them on as bonus dice to PC B, who is also attacking baddie C next. PC B makes his attack roll.

Clarification: those successes simply pass to PC B as extra dice, with no damage to baddie C, right? You don't give baddie C damage AND give PC B dice for his next attack, right?

Correct. This would actually be established in the Free & Clear stage, not after the dice have hit the table. "I'm helping Bob," and that's it.

Now, in practice, usually people are just attacking normally, and those dice are applied as damage to C ... which helps B out anyway, obviously. In fact, in many cases, they become bonus dice as discussed previously in this forum. The only difference if they're damage is that the damage chart is involved - hence, in many cases, lasting damage.

So the first method, in which the dice are only bonus dice for B, is usually done when A is not actually attacking C, but doing something which can only be construed as helping B. Like bothering C by insulting him, for example, or whatever.

Final point: any and all of the above are subject to total screwup if the dice-order doesn't work out.

3: Sex & Sorcery: Martial Arts

p. 69: Bottom, re rolling Lore vs another's Stamina:
"A sucecssful roll means that the character may use the rules in Sorcerer & Sword about saving victories across rolls, as long as the links are followed."

Is that a misprint? Isn't it referencing the basic Sorcerer rule about saving victories from one roll to apply to the next? Unfortunately, I left my Sor&Sword book at home, so I can't reference it now, but if I'm wrong, could someone point my to this rule (page, area) of Sor&Sword?

No it is not. It is referencing the special Sorcerer & Sword rules about managing victories across rolls, which has absolutely nothing to do with rolling victories into bonus dice for the next roll.

I beg you, please don't mix these up. In fact, I'd suggest playing Sorcerer several times before even dreaming of trying the Sorcerer & Sword victory-management rules.

Best,
Ron

[Andy Kitkowski]

Hey Ron- Thanks for the quick feedback.  I may have a few more questions later.

On point 3:
No it is not. It is referencing the special Sorcerer & Sword rules about managing victories across rolls, which has absolutely nothing to do with rolling victories into bonus dice for the next roll.

Do you (or anyone else at home now who has the book onhand) have the page numbers for this rule handy?  Again, I'll be reading through the whole Sorcery & Sword again (it's been about 2 years now since I last read through it completely, IIRC), but just looking for something I can reference quickly.

Edit:: Got it, page 70 of Sorcerer and Sword: Trading Victories (cancelling non-victory dice).  Sorry, the phrase "saving victories across rolls" (without mentioning "trading victories") threw me off there.

Thanks!  I'm sure I'll have more after further reading...

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Andy,

Also, see my comments in Holding victory dice.

Best,
Ron

[Andy Kitkowski]

Thanks man-

Also, in case anyone else is reading, in Ron's link above is another nestled link which also addresses trading victories, here:

http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=588