QUOTE (Cthulhudreams @ Dec 2 2008, 01:20 AM)

Heck, Joe Sixpack today knows vampires are vulnerable to fires, sunlight, stakes and religious symbols. The peasants in the realm of D&D are all going to know its cold iron to take on faeries, but if its a shape shifter, you need silver. You were probably told bedtime stories about it.
Joe Sixpack thinks he knows about vampires - based on what he's seen in movies, or read about in novels...
..Not the same as reading up on the subject or personal experience - and there's no other way to be sure, especially when you start "science-fying" vampires and other "supernatural" beasties.
QUOTE (TheGothfather @ Dec 2 2008, 02:22 AM)

But that just opens the door to bad GMing and a lack of fun. How can the rest of the players trust the one whom the rules don't apply to? That's a fucked up social dynamic right there. No one player - and the GM is a player - should have the power to unilaterally change the rules at a whim.
Except the rules keep telling the GM to use personal discretion in adjudicating the results of things...
...So the Players have to trust the GM is applying the rules appropriately, without knowing the details.
QUOTE (Thadeus Bearpaw @ Dec 2 2008, 01:41 AM)

Secondly, yes the players should be able to call out the GM for screwing something up, cheating or whatever but there's a myriad of instances in which the GM should cheat whether he or she is fudging rolls to save a player who just got pwned by dumb luck, or to give another pass to his epic villain who you screwed up in placement with but who given his crazy intellect wouldn't have done the dumb thing you had him do. The GM has to be fair obviously and shouldn't be rooting for his guys over the players, he also shouldn't let the players think they're invulnerable and be willing to cap them when they screw up or when its important.
The primary goal should be to maintain the story and for everyone to enjoy the game they're involved in...
...And random diceroll driven events that mess that up should be tweaked to that end - hopefully not too obviously, and hopefully not too often.
Interestingly enough, such random events are often part of the enjoyment of CoC...
...The big beastie swings it's hideous clawed tentacle in your direction - you die horribly.
QUOTE (Platinum Dragon @ Dec 2 2008, 04:50 AM)

Also, there is no gaming system where bad luck cannot get you killed. Some systems make that harder, but the only way to avoid it completely is to take the dice out of the equation, which SR does not do.
Which is exactly how Amber Diceless got started...
...By a young Mr Wujcik, who had a high level, but low HP Thief, and knew that almost any random dice result was going to get him killed, so started describing his actions and not letting the dice determine the outcome.