Page 135 - World of Darkness

Teamwork or create a unique situation that bends or breaks the tra-
ditional rules. Maybe the weapon your character wields
Characters can aid one another to achieve the same can be used in unique ways, or a supernatural power in-
goal. They might work together to assemble an engine, voked by an inhuman monster warps reality. In these cases,
break down a door or break a crook’s will. Choose which you can introduce system variations to spice up your game.
character is the primary actor. A normal dice pool is as- The following are possible adaptations of the
sembled for him based on the action. Say, Dexterity + Storytelling System that your Storyteller can apply when
Medicine to administer first aid. The same roll is made for she pleases. Perhaps your character’s weapon receives these
each secondary actor. Any successes collected from assis- benefits, and the Storyteller puts the rules in your hands
tants are added to the primary actor’s dice pool as bonus during play. Or she decides that an antagonist’s spell has
dice. So, contributors’ rolls are made before that of the pri- certain advantages outside the normal rules. If you think
mary actor. your character should have access to any of these special
A dramatic failure on a secondary’s roll levies a -4 systems, petition your Storyteller. She has final say on
penalty to the primary actor’s roll — it hinders rather than whether (or when) they can be used.
helps his chances. The primary cannot decide to abandon • 9 Again: You can re-roll 9’s as well as 10’s. The
his action if a contributor’s roll contributes few successes result is effectively a “9 again and 10 again” rule. This rule
or a penalty. He must proceed. might be applied to a power that brings luck or to a tool
The Storyteller decides how many secondary actors or weapon that is particularly potent, such as a hollow-
can participate in teamwork, and can limit the actors how- point bullet.
ever he desires. Three people might find space around a • 8 Again: You can re-roll 8’s, 9’s and 10’s. Essen-
patient in order to provide first aid, for example, while tially, you re-roll any success in a “8 again, 9 again and 10
five people might be able to work together to build a house. again” rule. The power or phenomenon represented with
Example: Charles works on his broken-down car with this kind of rule has tremendous potence or pervasive-
the help of Devon. It’s a simple repair rather than a diagnos- ness. A result either doesn’t occur (no successes are
tic situation, so the Storyteller decides that Dexterity + achieved) or it’s extremely effective, with little gray area
Crafts is called for. Charles has 2 Dexterity and 4 Crafts, in between.
while Devon has 2 Dexterity and 1 Crafts. Charles is the • Extra Successes: The trick, tool or power used packs
primary mechanic at work. The Storyteller decides that since a real wallop. A number of extra successes are added to
the pair has only the ordinary tools kept in the trunk at their any rolled for the effect, automatically improving its re-
disposal, no bonus is gained. In fact, a -3 penalty is imposed sults. A massive weapon might inflict crippling harm, for
because it’s late at night and there’s only one flashlight. example. Its Damage rating (see p. 170) is applied not as
bonus dice to your attack roll but as extra successes to
Devon’s dice pool starts at three but is reduced to a your roll. If the weapon’s Damage rating is 4, it adds four
chance roll. A 1 is rolled — a dramatic failure. The to any successes achieved. If you roll no successes at all,
Storyteller announces that Devon drops the flashlight and it the extra successes go to waste. They can only be added to
breaks. That means another four dice are subtracted from any that you achieve. Typically, this modification is re-
Charles’ effort. Charles starts with a pool of six dice, loses served for extremely powerful supernatural effects or tools.
three from darkness, and loses four more from Devon’s • Modifies Resistance: The phenomenon has an
blundering. He is also reduced to a chance roll. Fortunately, advantage over its targets not because it overpowers them,
his roll produces a 6, which is just a failure. The Storyteller but because it undermines them. Targets of the effect lose
decides that without light, the two are left stranded.
a certain number of points in any Resistance trait that
If Devon’s roll could have produced, say, two successes, they can pose (Stamina, Resolve, Composure or Defense).
two dice would have been added to Charles’ roll. His pool A power to control a victim’s mind might reduce his Re-
would have consisted of five dice (6 + 2 - 3). solve to maintain control. The target’s reduced Resolve is
rolled or subtracted from the attacker’s dice pool. Or a
Systems Permutations victim’s Defense is diminished in combat by an entan-
gling weapon such as a lasso or rope (see “Defense,”
The basic Storytelling System involves rolling a num- p. 155 in Chapter 7).
ber of dice based on your character’s capabilities (Attribute Alternatively, the effect bolsters the user’s own Re-
+ Skill). Dice are then added to or subtracted from your sistance, giving him bonuses to traits such as Resolve,
hand based on the tools used and the circumstances of Composure, Stamina or Defense for countering harm or
the action performed. Typically, one success rolled indi- influence over him. Protective devices might work this
cates an overall productive effort, while multiple successes way, without encumbering the wearer with actual armor.
can indicate an increasingly rewarding result. Or a spell might erect walls in your character’s mind that
This approach to activities — from driving a car to help him resist outside control.
swinging a sword to smooth-talking a receptionist — can • Rote Actions: Sometimes the steps or work in-
resolve many of the events that might happen in your volved in a feat has been laid out by those who preceded
game. At times, however, you may want to throw a curve your character. He follows in their footsteps or follows

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Chapter 6- DRAMATIC SYSTEMS