Dice Question

[Rob Alexander]

I'm running TSOY at a con soon, and there's a couple of things I've been confused about for a while that I want to get nailed down for that:

1) I'll admit that the various descriptions of the basic dice mechanic still have me confused, even after running 3 sessions. I think that the following description is correct:

• Bonus and penalty dice quantities are chosen and added up
• Then they cancel
• Player rolls 3 + (remaining bonus/penalty dice) dice
• If there were bonus dice take 3 best dice, if penalty take 3 worst

So, for example:

• Rules + SG award 2 bonus, 1 penalty for situation
• Cancel down to 1 bonus
• Player rolls (3 + 1 = 4) dice: + 0 + -
• Player picks 3 best dice + 0 + => +2

If it had been 2 penalty dice and 1 bonus die, player would have taken + 0 - = 0 as the result.

Am I right?

2) What's the significance of the number of starting advances for PCs? The book suggests 5, but Frank T used 10 for his Snakes in the Shadows pregens. Given that the general advice around here is to base NPC abilities on PC abilities, is the number of advances ultimately irrelevant?


This is not just my first TSOY con game but my first time as GM of a con game at all. So any tips (TSOY-specific or not) would be appreciated.

[Twobirds]

Yeah, you got the dice right.  I think it took most people a bit to get it.  I usually thought of it as rolling extra dice, but removing dice depending on the type of roll - since penalty and bonus dice cancel, a roll either penalized, boosted, or straight up three.  A penalized roll has extra dice rolls, but a number of dice equal to the number of penalty dice removed, best rolls removed first.  Vice versa for bonus dice.  Only three dice ever shift an Ability score up or down for the Success Level.

Starting advances is basically how powerful you want people to be.  Characters with more Advances have more tools at their disposal.  I guess you're right that it only affects NPCs on your end, but Grandmasters should probably be doing different stuff from Competents.

[Rob Alexander]

First, thanks for the answer, but sorry for asking for it --- the answer was already here:

http://random.average-bear.com/TSOY/CommentsForANewStoryguide

and here:

http://random.average-bear.com/TSOY/ConflictResolution

and has been for over two years! Don't know why I didn't notice this before. Funny, I was scanning the Wiki for new Keys etc the day I posted the question.

For me, this was the most confusing thing in the rules.

[Rob Alexander]

Starting advances is basically how powerful you want people to be.  Characters with more Advances have more tools at their disposal.  I guess you're right that it only affects NPCs on your end, but Grandmasters should probably be doing different stuff from Competents.

A ha! I've spotted a difference: the starting number of advances affects how rapidly a character will progress.

This happens in a simple way with secrets - you've got characters going from having one secret to having two. That's more exciting than going from two secrets to three, or three to four.

It happens in a major way with abilities - a character with five advances will probably have a pair at Adept and a few a Competent. In a fast-paced convention game, he might get several from Unskilled to Competent, or one from Adept to Master. If he starts with 10 advances and an ability at Master, he's less likely to get what he needs to make Grandmaster.

The rate of advance affects both the buzz that a player gets from improving his character, and on their ability to shape their character during the course of a one shot game. Starting with 5 advances, you can develop a whole new ability to Adept and that's a big change. Starting with 20 advances you can do the same but it won't have much impact.

The point about "Grandmasters should be doing different stuff" is well taken. I'll try to emphasise this when narrating, or when commenting on player narration - the Competent swordsman gets lucky with a desperate effort, the Grandmaster swordsman does crazy stunts effortlessly.