Uncontested Complications

[Tony Irwin]

Guys what happens when I initiate an event targetting a pc (or in fact any component controlled by another player) and they've no interest in contesting it?

Its never actually happened yet in our games (we're all very genteel, and meekly co-operate even when its obvious someone is just scrounging for more coins.) but we use the pc add-on every time we play so its much more likely to happen.

eg:

Me: Here's one coin to say the innkeeper comes up to your table and starts telling you about the dungeon just north of the town. He tells you the history of the Mad Wizard who built it. He uses all his wit and guile to convince you to take up the challenge of exploring it. I'll pay a coin for an event for him to try and convince you. And I'll use his "crafty" trait for a dice and because he's an innkeeper he says drinks are on the house for another dice!

Paul: Sounds good to me.

Leanne: Cool, Im in. I'll interrupt for one coin and here's another to start talking to him. I'll ask to buy some iron rations and 20 foot rope for the adventure.

Me: Umm, what about my complication?

So what should happen, do I get to roll against their pools of zero dice and then narrate their acceptance with the resulting coins? Or does my event happen without a complication?

You see originally I was worried that someone could just start an event that no-one was interested in stopping, and then use that as an opportunity to generate heaps loads of coins (you automatically win and who knows how many fives you'll roll!). But actually now I've written this and looked at it I realise that when people have tried it in the past we've all ganged up on them to make sure either they're not getting many coins (by taking dice out their pool) or that we're in on the action and making coins out of it as well.

All the same what do you envision should happen when there are no opposing dice pools in a complication?

Cheers folks,

Tony

[Valamir]

The official rule would be you roll the Complication against 0 dice in their pool.

But...you're playing with the PC add-on...which I have to admit I don't have much experience with.

In the regular rules much of the time the situation you described would come up, the same person would be in control of the innkeeper and the characters and he'd just narrate it happening.  But this can't happen in the PC universe.

Here is my untested musings.

Go ahead and treat as a complication vs 0 dice.  You'll win and be responsible for narrating the outcome.  But that outcome could be more than just "the characters agree".  It could be "The character's agree to do it for free".  It could be "The character is so eager to get started that he rushes out forgeting to take his magic amulet of protection from stuff with him".  It could be "the Innkeeper told you the tale, but across the tavern several thugs over heard and think they want in on the action".

In otherwords...if you're completely unopposed...you can pretty much do ANYTHING.  Even with the PC rule in place which prevents you from just narrating stuff happening to another player's PC, Coins from a Complication can do anything to anyone.  That in itself should provide the motivation for the other players to oppose your Complications...worry about what you might be doing to them if they don't have at least a few Losers Coins to mitigate it.

[Mike Holmes]

Yep, just roll against no dice. I've seen this a few times. That said, it's sorta odd. The "defending" player is giving up an opportunity to get coins potentially (at no risk if he loses).

The one thing to look out for in this case is that these tend to be somewhat undramatic (is that a word?). That is, the player who has the pool opposing the component should keep it short as there is little actual conflict happening. If he just stacks stuff up against the opponent seeking to get a big pile of coins challenge on the grounds that it's just not dramatc to do so (as you should any time a player heaps traits on a complication for no good reason).

All he needs is one die to get the desired result, usually. In fact, point out how that one die can grow into more if it ties with the zero successes of the 0 die opposing pool (which it's automatically higher than). As such, its cost beneficial to go with fewer dice.

Mike