Why Relationships With People?

[zornwil]

David, one important virtue of Relationships that Traits don't have that I just realized we should point out is that you can roll Relationship dice OUT OF TURN, because as soon as the Relationship is in play, the dice are yours.  That can be helpful, and can give you extra dice out of turn when a fellow PC says, "I help so-and-so on my Raise."

[Noclue]

Or, to be more specific, why would I ever want to establish my unassigned Relationship dice with an individual in a particular Town?

Because my NPC just took a 3d10 relationship with you and she's rolling in the big dice!

[David Artman]

zornwil, could you give an example or a play sequence; I'm not tracking you?

Noclue, good point, in keeping with the other's points about short-term efficacy; thanks.

[zornwil]

Sure, no problem, I probably didn't say it well to begin with.

Player A's Raise: I call Cousin Caleb over and ask him to help out against this barn fire.  I know it'll risk his life, but I sure could use his help.  Raise 16 (2 8s).

The GM doesn't see that and Caleb is helping out to put out the fire.

Player B has a Relationship 1d8 with Cousin Caleb.  Caleb is coming to his aid in this situation (Players A and B are both dealing with a burning barn).  So Player B rolls 1d8 the moment Caleb is in the game.  Player B already did a Raise earlier in the Turn.  Player B is lucky, he gets an 8!  He had nothing better than a 4 until now.

Player C is next . He makes a Raise, "And now I'll turn out the demon!  I pull out my silver cross and I plunge it into the girl, expunging the demon!"  Player C has good dice and puts forward a big 17. 

Now Player B, who hasn't had a Raise or See here in these last couple Gos, but he's sitting there with an 8.  So he says, "And I help," putting forward the 8, Lending a Die, "as I recite the Prayer of Exorcism."

See how Player B got dice without a Raise or See to bring in a Trait, and how it could be useful?  A Trait wouldn't help, since when you're Lending a Die you're not in a Raise or See yourself, you're not able to roll any dice.

[David Artman]

OK, gotcha... thanks.

[Noclue]

Sure, no problem, I probably didn't say it well to begin with.

Player A's Raise: I call Cousin Caleb over and ask him to help out against this barn fire.  I know it'll risk his life, but I sure could use his help.  Raise 16 (2 8s).

The GM doesn't see that and Caleb is helping out to put out the fire.

Player B has a Relationship 1d8 with Cousin Caleb.  Caleb is coming to his aid in this situation (Players A and B are both dealing with a burning barn).  So Player B rolls 1d8 the moment Caleb is in the game.  Player B already did a Raise earlier in the Turn.  Player B is lucky, he gets an 8!  He had nothing better than a 4 until now.

Player C is next . He makes a Raise, "And now I'll turn out the demon!  I pull out my silver cross and I plunge it into the girl, expunging the demon!"  Player C has good dice and puts forward a big 17. 

Now Player B, who hasn't had a Raise or See here in these last couple Gos, but he's sitting there with an 8.  So he says, "And I help," putting forward the 8, Lending a Die, "as I recite the Prayer of Exorcism."

See how Player B got dice without a Raise or See to bring in a Trait, and how it could be useful?  A Trait wouldn't help, since when you're Lending a Die you're not in a Raise or See yourself, you're not able to roll any dice.

Um...don't you only get your relationship dice if your relationship is at stake or your relationship is in the conflict. If you're fighting a barn fire/demon, wouldn't raising by calling Cousin Caleb into the conflict bring him in as a prop? Color me confused.

[zornwil]

Sorry, I didn't see this before somehow. 

If Cousin Caleb is a Relationship and he comes to your aid, you roll the dice for him.  You don't get Relationship dice because someone is just "in the Conflict," it's because they oppose you or come to your aid or about them.  If they are in the conflict but none of those 3 are true, you don't get the Relationship dice (though, granted, it is less common for someone to be in a Conflict, but to be none of those 3, although it happens a good bit, for example, often PCs themselves have Relationships to each other but don't always actively come to each other's aid in a Conflict).