Vincent, I recall an old post of yours (over a year ago, maybe even two) where you stated that one thing you would change about DitV would be the starting dice for Dogs.  I distinctly remember you stating you would probably give them less dice.  I'm starting a new campaign with some players was interested in pursuing this line of thought.

What I would like to know is what you would suggest as revised starting dice numbers in order to ramp up the suspense?

I've changed my mind about that. I've played some with smaller dice, and it's not as good.

Just remember, remember, for goodness sweet sake remember to use the rules for possessed people and for sorcerers. Possessed people especially - every member of a cult should count as possessed, for dice, even though they retain their own full personalities. I don't think I've managed to communicate this fact very well.

-Vincent

Vincent,

Your above statement is somewhat confusing to me. And it looks like one of those rules minutiae that the book is never explicite enough about.

Could you provide an example of possessed NPCs rules used according to your intentions?

Well...

You know how when you create a town you list some people who agree with the false doctrine, participate in the corrupt worship, and thus fall into the cult of the false priest?

In conflict, you can rightly and justly give any or all of those people the mechanical benefits listed under "possessed people" in the npc chapter. You don't have to play them as demonically possessed, with the green soup vomit and the screaming obsceneties and the head-turning-around; you can just give them the mechanical benefits.

-Vincent

Hmm, ok. The way you stressed the "every member counts as possessed, for dice", it sounded to me like there was some hidden dice accumulation trick not spelled clearly among the possession benefits.

So, uh, why stressing this particular bit? Cause, you know, now I'm looking at these benefits and I'm wondering what I'm missing that gives them a stronger impact than lowering character's dice numbers would.

Also, now that I'm looking at them again, Viciousness's punches > blunt > edged Fallout improvements seem inconsistent with conflict arenas to me. Unless the second sentence under Visciousness is just fluff rather than an actual mechanical progression, as the use of the word "damage" as opposed to Fallout could possibly suggest. Or, unless Body + Heart covers punches.

(Well, after going through a whole lot of the old threads for rules clarifications and the like, I'm a bit carefull about such stuff - especially that there were parts I've been misinterpreting or not noticing in the past.)

Oh THAT's where that relic is. I can never find it when I'm looking for it to correct it. It's persisted from the very first printing.

Viciousness means that the possessed person inflicts fallout one die size bigger than normal.

I don't have my book in front of me, but there's also an option where you get to add your relationship with the demons to any social conflict. Together those will give a Dog pause.

-Vincent

So I thought. Nice to see that sometimes I can read the rule correctly :)

It initially surprised me that this part could require better communication, but now that I look at it the redundant sentence could actually cause misinterpretation as far as social conflicts are concerned.

Thanks for clarifications.

So to further clarify, are we saying that a non-overtly possessed member of a false doctrine can use Cunning, Ferocity, Preservation or Viciousness as appropriate without having the normally narrated Manifestations, or or we just saying that the Manifestations can be subtle. Until now I have generally favoured the 'can be subtle' interpretation.

I have struggled with the difference with demon influenced members of False Doctrines and actual Possessed ones, and you also seem to be saying that there is no difference mechanically which makes things neater in my mind and stops that nagging doubt I had about when to apply such things.

The manifestations can be subtle.

In the Western movies of my childhood, the manifestation of possession was "wears a black hat."

-Vincent

Thanks Vincent,

Black hat works for me, and nails it down mechanically too. Of course the fact that I openly roll the Viciousness Manifestation dice - 'Bullet hole scar on his cheek from a gun duel' leaves the players knowing something is up without giving them a tangible grasp on the situation which is exactly what I strive for in early conflicts. "This guy is using the possession dice and he just looks bad, but your going to have to push in the conflict to get to the bottom of why".

Sorry Viciousness would be fallout modifier so should read Ferocity or Cunning dice.