Re: Duelmasters : luck factor (LONG)

From: 900667c@ace.acadiau.ca (GERALD RICHARD CAMERON)

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1992 16:11:19 +0000

In article <18485@aggie.ucdavis.edu> ccs012@shep.ucdavis.edu (Riff-Raff) writes:

>In article <900667c.69@ace.acadiau.ca>, 900667c@ace.acadiau.ca (GERALD RICHARD CAMERON) writes:

>|>      And for my next lecture: luck factor.

>I've already got an ally named "The Professor."  Maybe you should be called
>"The Guest Lecturer"? :)

Hey, somebody's gotta set you guys straight :)

>|> Some of the areas that I think it affects include:

>|> 1. THE NUMBER OF WIT COMMENTS ON A CHARACTER'S OVERVIEW
>|> On a character's rollup, under the comment that says how intelligent the
>|> character is, are between 1-5 comments that give the character a bonus or
>|> penalty in different skill areas, plus maybe a comment stating that the
>|> character burns endurance at a lower rate than normal.  The number of these
>|> statements appears to be totally random, although geared to be 3 or more.
>|> A "lucky" character will get more of these comments.

>Aside from the fact that a character can get between 0 and 6 wit comments,
>including an endurance statement, this is true and has been pretty much
>accepted for a long time.  It's a good thing to note, though.

The 1 was a mistake on my part.  Note I also said "plus maybe a[n]...
endurance statement."

[points 2-6 deleted]

My point was that some of the luck factor that RSI refers to is probably the
"roll of the dice" involved in the game.  I'd say that anything that's
random involves luck.  Also, I believe I go on to say that I don't think a
character has a "luck factor" per se, but rather, gets lucky in some
things at times, and unlucky in others at other times.

>|> 7.  WHETHER A CHARACTER GETS DESPERATE/DIES
>|> When a charcter gets hit he must succeed a WL check to see if he goes
>|> desperate.  The difficulty level is determined by the amount of damage taken
>|> relative to his damage taking capacity, and then a target number is
>|> generated by whatever is needed for a character of WL x to pass a WL check
>|> of difficulty factor of y.  The computer then rolls a number, and if the
>|> check succeeds, the character does not become desperate.  If he fails, the
>|> character becomes deperate.  Once a character is desperate, including the
>|> blow that makes him desperate, another WL check of a lower difficulty is
>|> made to see is the character dies.  Infirmary deaths are the result of one
>|> of two possibilities.  Either the character just barely blew his last WL
>|> check, or else a final WL check of even lower severity is made, and if it
>|> fails, then the character dies in the infirmary.  I lean towards the second,
>|> and the level of success/failure determines what, if any, infirmary comment
>|> appears.

>This sounds suspiciously like morale in AD&D.  Characters have a certain number
>of hit points, and within this total number there are various critical points.
>Once a character reaches a set breakpoint (it may be 50%, I don't know) of his
>total damage taking ability, he must make a roll to determine if he or she goes
>desperate.  If he or she does, then he must check to see if he will continue.
>This roll is determined almost entirely by WL.  Past desperation, there is a
>point where your character has so few hit points that he gives up.  When fight-
>ing warriors who do a lot of damage, they may knock you into this "give up"
>arena without ever entering desperation, but this is very rare.

This is just some scuttlebutt I heard from a flunky of Tarot's (although how
he'd feel about being called a flunky I don't know :), with a (very) little
extrapolation on my part.  In priciple I'm inclined to agree with it, since
characters with low will do seem to die more easily.

>Where luck definitely is a factor is in Arenamaster intervention.  He is
>more likely to stop fights when "lucky" characters are involved and about
>to die; unlucky characters die.

Again, I imagine it's just a roll of the dice, although RSI hints that a
popular warrior (in that fight) may be allowed to continue a bit longer than
normal.  Far be it from RSI to spread rumours about the game that aren't
true :)

>I guess this could be the final acid test.  :)
>
>I personally think that too much is made about a character's luck.

I agree to some extent, but for different reasons.

>To me, it
>is the same as SZ: it's determined by RSI and there's nothing you can do about
>it.  Luck definitely affects various areas, and it's effect is independent
>in each individual area.  No WT comments doesn't meant that your character
>doesn't excel in certain areas (the best ST I've had so far started with 0
>WT comments, then went on to go 12-2).

Here's where I disagree.  Like I said before, I don't think there are
specifically "lucky" or "unlucky" charcters as a result of RSI's program.
Instead, the fates just seem to shove horseshoes up the ass of some
characters and not others :)

>I don't know if my comments enlightened anyone, but I thought I'd throw my
>thousands of dollars worth of DM experience over 7 years out there for dis-
>cussion.  If I contradicted myself, I can only say "I contradict myself?
>Very well, I am large.  I am a complex creature."

Far be it from me to stop you.  I've only been playing for a couple of
years.  I just listen a lot, that's all.
______________________________________________________________________
| Take 'Er Easy                            |          DEMON          |
|                                          |                         |
| The check is in the mail,                |     GERALD CAMERON      |
|     I'll respect you in the morning,     |                         |
|              I like doing school work.   | 900667C@ACE.ACADIAU.CA  |
|====================================================================|
|    Manager of Scotian D-Team (DM52), The Highlanders (DM42)        |
|                and The Highlanders of the WeHL                     |
|       Also collector of comics, player of RPGs, Philosopher        |
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References

Duelmasters : luck factor
dao@d62iggy.mitre.org (David A. Ondzes)
Tue, 10 Mar 1992 16:32:16 +0000
Re: Duelmasters : luck factor (LONG)
900667c@ace.acadiau.ca (GERALD RICHARD CAMERON)
Wed, 11 Mar 1992 22:25:31 +0000
Re: Duelmasters : luck factor (LONG)
ccs012@shep.ucdavis.edu (Riff-Raff)
Thu, 12 Mar 1992 10:36:51 +0000

Referenced By

Duelmasters : luck factor
dao@d62iggy.mitre.org (David A. Ondzes)
Tue, 10 Mar 1992 16:32:16 +0000
Re: Duelmasters : luck factor (LONG)
900667c@ace.acadiau.ca (GERALD RICHARD CAMERON)
Wed, 11 Mar 1992 22:25:31 +0000
Re: Duelmasters : luck factor (LONG)
ccs012@shep.ucdavis.edu (Riff-Raff)
Thu, 12 Mar 1992 10:36:51 +0000