[DitV] Relationship Dice

[TonyLB]

I totally agree that you're going to act like the farmers are someone you know.  But you're going to be very surprised if they act like you're someone they know.  Right?

I totally get that the relationship with farmers changes the way Kikuchiyo views farmers.  But I don't see that it changes the way farmers view Kikuchiyo.  The farmers don't think that he has anything special to prove to them, so they don't have a good context to put him under social pressure.  They're not judging him more intensely than other samurai.

I've played it exactly the way you're talking about.  In fact, I assumed (prior to Vincent's clarification) that that's how it was meant to be played.  But I think I see the attraction of personalizing it to either a person or institution.

If you have "Mountain Folk 2d8" and you go to a new village, you can make the Stakes "Do the Mountain Folk accept me."  Which is fine.

If you have "Chief Ma-ha-tai 2d8" and you go to a new village you make the Stakes "Do the Mountain Folk accept me as a friend of Ma-ha-tai, whom they know."  I think that's better.

What you've done, right in that rewording, is to set the basis for how these people judge you and relate to you.  It's not for your benefit... it's for theirs.  It helps (in this case) the GM to know how you want these people to think about you.

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

I totally agree that you're going to act like the farmers are someone you know.  But you're going to be very surprised if they act like you're someone they know.  Right?...I've played it exactly the way you're talking about.  In fact, I assumed (prior to Vincent's clarification) that that's how it was meant to be played.  But I think I see the attraction of personalizing it to either a person or institution....What you've done, right in that rewording, is to set the basis for how these people judge you and relate to you.  It's not for your benefit... it's for theirs.  It helps (in this case) the GM to know how you want these people to think about you.

This has gotten very fuzzy to me. Tony, I think you're probably right about the direction of the relationship, but I want to hear it from Vincent (who's also not responding to a PM about tomorrow's plans - read your email, dammit!)

[lumpley]

Yeah, and Vincent, it was you who suggested Relationship: Women as fallout for Frank Redboots.

And in this we see the difference between the designer's intent and playing with an open mind and an open heart.

It's all cool. You're supposed to make up traits and relationships that make sense to you and your group, in play.

-Vincent

[Valamir]

The ultimate answer to this entire thread...and indeed many of the recent threads is simply this...

...ask yourself "why does it matter?"

If the answer is any of the following (or similiar):
"I want to know what the 'right' way of doing it is"
"I want to make sure the dice are fair"
"I'm worried the character's may be too effective"
"I'm concerned about balance among the characters"
"I'm concerned about balance with the NPCs"
"I'm concerned the Dogs may have too easy a time"
"I'm concerned the Dogs may have too hard a time"
"My players are going to try to min max"

Then the answer to the question is "it doesn't matter, because none of those questions are relevant...certainly not to Dogs, and also not to most other RPGs (even though we often think otherwise)".

The solution when an issue like this comes up is always "Choose the option that makes the most sense to you and your group at that point in time in that set of circumstances."


Now if you can answer the "why does it matter?" question with something more meaningful than any of the above...then it is something worth thinking about.  The solution to it will almost always be...you guessed it..."Choose the option that makes the most sense to you and your group at that point in time in that set of circumstances."


In other words...just play...respect each other...make judgements when necessary.  Good sound advice for any game session me thinks, no?

[Ben Lehman]

I think that something about long-term play is being missed here.

The answer to all of your questions is: Take enough Fallout, and you can have any relationship or trait you want at any value you want.

Play one or two towns, and you will understand this at a deep, intuitive level.  All of your "farmer ted versus family of farmer ted" questions will vanish like dew under dawnlight.

yrs--
--Ben