Critical Hits and other hoary rules of the ancients

[JSDiamond]

Since Orbit recognizes degrees of success (previous thread) it follows that a stupendous result should equate a stupendous effect.  This occurs on a die-roll that results in a (51+) degree of success.  Such a result is one that was on par with a masterful effort.

In line with the core rules, here again you have four choices from which to choose:

1. Normal.  Take the listed (x3) multiplier to maximize effect (non-combat) or damage dealt (combat).  This is your basic unadorned 'crit'.  Easy and familiar to every role-player everywhere.
2. Alternate Effect.  Player gains full Author Stance for one result (E.g., I aim and fire my proton accelerator and hit my opponent's arm, the shock causes him to drop his weapon and cry out in pain).  Alternate Effects are always non-lethal (combat).  In non-combat situations the resulting success is normal, but an alternate to what was intended by that skill.    
3. Gonzo Success! Player gains full Author Stance for scene.  But cannot relate to the goal intended by the action.  Cannot harm opponent(s) or character(s).  E.g., I raise my plasma repeater in a vain attempt to shoot at an attacking Gryphon, only to discharge the weapon prematurely blowing a hole in the ground between myself and the beast.  Now I have a few minutes to form a plan!    
4. Gonzo Failure! Player gains full Author Stance for the scene.  Must equate a failure of some kind that harms or hinders the character(s) in some way, but not the opponent(s).  But the trade off is that you learn from your mistake (gain die-roll vs. your character's %Learn to improve* by one degree in that skill).  E.g., in trying to hack a security panel to lower the force-field of my cell door, I shock myself for 3 points of damage (fusing my makshift pick to the circuit board) and black out the entire police station.

*Not including Master level.  Which always requires formal training.

These are just examples of course, and more will be explained for the GM's benefit.  But the power rests completely in the Player's hands.  What do you think?

Jeff

[Clinton R. Nixon]

Jeff,

This rocks my socks off. I really like the fact that you have the ability to play it old-style, or use Author Stance if you're comfortable with that. I think the three Author Stance options will blow away any critical hit system that I've seen. The Gonzo Failure option is really intriguing - I've never seen anything like it in any game before, and I feel like I'd use it to great advantage in play.

- Clinton

[Blake Hutchins]

Agreed.  The Gonzo stuff is brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.  Excuse me while I go towel off.

Best,

Blake

[Valamir]

4. Gonzo Failure!

Thats like when bubbles come out of the horn right...

[JSDiamond]

Or milk out of the nose... exactly.

Thanks for the comments/compliments.

I must add again that I owe a lot to Ben Baugh.  He suggested the four-level skill set and the idea for fixed multipliers as opposed to rolling dice for each item (e.g., weapon-A does 1dwhatever) and skill.  Then when he said the word 'gonzo' in one of his remarks concerning Orbit's flavor that really spiked my database into serious recovery & reformat mode.  He also added a bunch of creative and colorful bits to the setting (too many to list here, but all of which will be listed in the book's credits).

But perhaps the most significant moment was this one:  Ben asked me a very poignant question about a month ago that went something like, "Why do you have all of this crunchy good authorial stuff and this gonzo setting, -but your actions are simulationist?"    

So here we are...  

Jeff

[JohnK]

Hullo, Jeff,

  I rather like the way that you've set up the "basic critical", through the use of the listed (x3) multipler to maximize the effect in non-combat or the damage in combat situations.  This strikes me not so much as innovative, as a rather common sense-ical way of doing things here.  And as you said, every roleplayer will be expecting this one. :)

  The Author Stance game mechanic and solution is rather nice, and I am fond of the idea that it has to be non-lethal in combat situations.  I think I would have been somewhat annoyed and frustrated if it hadn't been done this way.

  The Gonzo Success and Gonzo Failure mechanics are just plain brilliant, and the ORBIT system is to be congratulated on these! :)

[JSDiamond]

Thank you very much, John.

And I've added the 01 = a Critical Success to the official rules.  This is something Clinton brought up in another post if I recall correctly.

[JohnK]

Hullo, Jeff,

  You wrote:

Thank you very much, John.

  Just giving credit where credit is due.  The mechanics of ORBIT seem to be really neat, and have a lot of intuitiveness to them.  Gonzo, indeed. :)

And I've added the 01 = a Critical Success to the official rules.  This is something Clinton brought up in another post if I recall correctly.

    Yes, I remember reading this post while going through the (fortunately, relatively small) backlog of messages here in the forum.  I like the idea of this, and will implement it in my game as well.

    JohnK