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Enchanter Runes
Mon, 02/04/2013 - 5:49am | 
steever
In a recent game my daughter (a spellcaster) with some skill in enchanter, decided she'd set up a rune that would cast offensive strike if someone stepped in a certain area. It was not currently a combat situation.
She rolled the dice but failed. She asked if she could try again and I let her. This time she succeeded. The rune was created.
Did I do the right thing? There seemed to be no penalty for failure except for the time taken, which wasn't an issue in this instance.
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I think time is the only issue as far as trying again. (Unless, of course, it's a critical failure, in which something bad happens.) Though a simple failure could perhaps cause the chosen object to become "burned out" and be unable to be used for a rune. (Though there is no rule covering such, of course. Just something to consider.)
Thanks. I thought I had it wrong.
That's the way we play it. Very useful if you have the time to set them up. Otherwise, not so useful. Magic rune traps! Boom! I love it!
I'd rule it the same way, just let her repeat the attempt. On a critical failure, I'd likely make the rune a dud. She "thinks" she got it right, but instead it throws fairy lights, or makes a pop noise and nothing happens or a spray of dandelions shoots out at whoever walked intot he area. Something funny but innocuous.
I would need to roll for success instead of the player in that case. Sounds great.
It could be that with each successive failed attempt, you reduce the efficacy of the trap by 1 rank or 10% or something - I.e. change the resistance check.
I like that idea too.
Failure can tell some of the best stories.
"Remember when you tried to carve that rune on the door? I wasted a days rations waiting around for you."
A caster uses offensive strike's area effect to lite torches in a room. It's a non-combat situation and the player is taking his time. The GM awards a +10 to her skill check. Player rolls dice, critical failure. GM, "The torches you are carrying appear to go out, however you can still feel the heat as-if they are still lit." :-)
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Sometimes, I don't require a skill check, just depends on the situation and story.
I completely agree. I am fond of the older systems that allow for automatic success if you have a reasonable chance of success, and carry that through in any game I play. I want to ROLE play, not ROLL play!