So, in the book there's a conflict example where an axe-weilding murder comes in while you're sleeping and hits you in the head with an axe.

In the example given it states the sleeping person should only get Acuity dice due to being asleep.

That's the only time I can see such a stipulation in the rules. So, my question is: on what, exactly, is the decision to llow the plauer to only roll his Acuity dice (rather than Body and Will, as is usual for a fighting conflict like this) based? Is it just a GM call based on what seems right? Are there other example so ftimes when you'd tell a player that owing to the circumstances of the conflict they should only get certain kinds of stat dice, beyond what is directly stipulated in the rules?

This is my favorite question about Dogs.

The answer is easy, but cryptic: if you're not cheating, you're playing fair.

-Vincent

Hey Thomas,

A less cryptic thought- what happens after the player escalates?

Chris

Chris: I know that after the player escalates himself to fighting he'll actuall ed up having rlled MORE dice than his opponent, who won't have yet rolled Acuity. So yes, that helps.

What it doesn't help with is the possible fallout inflicted by being forced to take a blow you probably wouldn't have had to take had you had your usual Body and Will dice from the off. Also, it doesn't help me decide when and how I should decide that players should get different stat dice to the usual. I can kind of see the logic in giving a sleeping player only Acuity (as that stat is the one closest to representing a character's awareness), but it worries me somewhat that there's no descirbed mechanism for what stats to allot when, outside of the standard combinations for talking, physical, fighting and gunplay (oh, and the specialised circumstances for medical aid).

The only thing that mechanically happens is that the Acuity-only rolling player will probably not be the first to go, since he's rolling less dice on the start of the conflict and thus is less likely to have the highest pair of dice. Since he can (and probably WILL) bring in any helping traits on his see, it's only a slight slide on the normal mechanics.

Aside from "it doesn't really change that much", I don't have much to offer, though.

If it worries you, stick faithfully to the explicit mechanism. No sweat.

-Vincent

I still feel like I'd like to better understand the crypic comment, though.

Simple - look to your most critical player...

If something outside the explicit rules makes sense, go for it.

Thought: it's pretty hard to break Dogs here. Remember, escalate, escalate, escalate. Which means if players really care, all their stat dice will come into play (and things will get violent), it's not super important which ones they start with.

Frank