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Dumpshock Forums _ Shadowrun _ vs. The Joy of Four?

Posted by: heliocentric Oct 29 2004, 04:29 PM

So, I was rooting through blackjack's site and I found this gem about opposed rolls:

http://blackjack.dumpshock.com/stuff/RULEjoyoffour.htm

I think I like it. Does anyone have some experience with this rules mod? Is it good or should I sooner give Argent a swirly than use this?

For some context: I like stripped down rules and am not afraid to improvise if I have to. I'm thinking of trying it at next weeks session, but I'd love some insight from you folks.

Posted by: Backgammon Oct 29 2004, 04:43 PM

In a fit of coincidence, there is a thread about this exact topic http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=6048

Posted by: Kagetenshi Oct 29 2004, 05:42 PM

I personally dislike the Joy of Four and think it's a solution in search of a problem. YMMV.

~J

Posted by: GunnerJ Oct 29 2004, 06:01 PM

I like how it makes so many of the bothersome ratings not related to Skills, such as Attributes, Power in a Damage Code, armor rating, spell, focus, and spirit Force, maglock ratings, etc., irrelevent or vastly less important. Way to gut the SR system.

Let's look at his test example: if the TN is always 4, why the hell bother casting a Powerbolt with a Force above 3? Or any other combat spell for that matter? The primary role of force in this case, as the Power of the Damage a target must resist, has been taken away.

Posted by: Herald of Verjigorm Oct 29 2004, 06:06 PM

I thought that rant only applied a change for the cases where the TN for person 1 is the skill/attribute being rolled by person 2 and the TN for person 2 is the skill/attribute being rolled by person 1.

In that case, it only affects things like banishing, breaking wards, and some social skills.

I still probably won't use it, but I never thought he meant to discard all PC influence on the TN for the opponent.

Posted by: Doctor Funkenstein Oct 29 2004, 06:30 PM

It's a good replacement for Open Tests, but that's about it. I wouldn't use it in most other situations for the very reason GunnerJ and the others have pointed out.

Posted by: ZorbaTHut Oct 29 2004, 07:04 PM

I'm certainly not going to use it in any other case than the symmetrical two-skills-being-used-overall case. On the other hand, in that case, a single point really does turn into an incredible advantage.