Tuesday Night Game Night is being adversely affected by the coronavirus quarantine. Fortunately, the Fantasy Flight Games Narrative Dice System is abstract enough for theater-of-the-mind storytelling over Facebook messenger voice chat, and I am using a handy online dice rolling app for the specialty dice the system requires.
The more I play, the more I like this dice system. Characteristics and skills define the benficial dice pool of green d8s and yellow d12s. Circumstances can add blue d6 boost dice, too. The encounter determines whether one rolls 1-5 purple d8 difficulty dice, some of which may be upgraded to red challenge dice, and there may also be circumstantial black d6 setback dice. Those sensitive to the Force also get a special d12 with pips for light and dark side force powers. These are then all rolled to see what outcome occurs. It's quite simple once used to it, and makes for an easy way to describe the nature of any challenge.
The symbols on the dice are successes, advantages, and triumphs. A triumph counts as a success plus an extra bonus to use from the chart for the challenge. Failures negate successes, threats (we informally call them disadvantages in our group) negate advantages, and despairs count as a failure plus, and do not negate triumphs or get negated by them. The final result of failures, successes, threats, advantages, triumphs, and despairs describe the outcome of the challenge in question.
Tonight's adventure was somewhat odd, because @generikat's participation was interrupted along with her husband and son as they pursued a vehicular issue. Instead of the intended story, my character tagged along with the Jedi padawan on his trials, and then upgraded his own cybernetics. Our story occurs between Episodes IV and V, and it seems we are the party who originated the series of Echo bases prior to the famous one on Hoth.
The books themselves are superbly good at covering possible player actions. Consequences for everything are covered, it seems. There are some issues with repetitive content across all the books, and there are compendiums that don't compendium-ify everything. There are also some difficulties with three interrelated games under their own titles. Force and Destiny handles Jedi, Sith, and other force users. Age of Rebellion covers Imperial and Rebel special operations teams in military and covert ops missions. Edge of the Empire features smugglers, bounty hunters, colonists, and other folks trying to make their own way in a dangerous galaxy beyond the reach of the Empire. New books in each line add new races, new classes, new items, and new story hooks. These can be combined in many ways for extra customization and depth. And there is a generic version for other settings using the same narrative dice system.
While playing, I indulged in some Of Chimpanzees porter from Ordnance Brewing. I purchased it from Growler Guys during my recent trip to Tubbs Hill. Their drive-through was the only thing open. Like other small businesses, I suspect they are feeling the quarantine pinch. The beer is a coffee porter, and it is MAGNIFICENT! Malty and smooth. I highly recommend it if you like porters and coffee. An ABV of 5.3 and IBU of 27 make it quite drinkable without being overly strong. I had a quart can (32 fl. oz. or 0.95 L) filled from the tap and sealed with their equipment. It's an interesting process. Too bad it wasn't very visible from the drive-up.
Sounds like a grand time.
I should look up this game.
I am actually playing two campaigns. In this one, I am an android cyberneticist trying to persuade the organics to upgrade themselves. I am also the computers specialist and the mechanic. In the other game, I am a force-sensitive Shistavanen medic irate at being drawn by fate into a new conflict.
Gosh, this is too much for me to handle. lol
In a good way.
I missed you guys last night! There was all manner of weirdness around here, a trend which continued this morning with T almost cutting the entire tip of his pinky finger off. I told him that belt sanders don't require human sacrifice but apparently he didn't get the memo.
My favorite thing about our Star Wars RPGing, besides all the explosives, is the dice system. I love that if I fail a check I can still have cool things happen if I roll enough advantages. Glad you had fun last night!
Remind T that cybernetics are something I can only build in the world of imagination, so he needs to not amputate stuff! How bad is it? Stitches? Hospital visit?
It reminds me of the time my dad tried to take off a few fingertips with his planer. I was the only one at home to help him out, and proceeded to nearly pass out and had to lie down. He dealt with it himself. Poor Daddy.