Do ALL Opposed Checks upgrade the difficulty if the opposer has any ranks in the skill?

Or would/could you just use the Skill ranks to apply that number of Purple dice?

It makes opposed checks very nasty if you can throw 2 or 3 red dice into the pool.

Thoughts?

RD

Do ALL Opposed Checks upgrade the difficulty if the opposer has any ranks in the skill?

Or would/could you just use the Skill ranks to apply that number of Purple dice?

It makes opposed checks very nasty if you can throw 2 or 3 red dice into the pool.

Thoughts?

RD

They upgrade as normal with skill ranks.

There aren't that many opposed checks in this system, but if you don't upgrade the check it gives a HUGE advantage to the instigator of the action. They already have the advantage based upon how the dice results are mapped out.

It makes opposed checks very nasty if you can throw 2 or 3 red dice into the pool.

No, not "nasty". Instead, think of them as "narrative opportunities". I've said this before, but it bears repeating: the fluff text for Despairs and Threats overstates their effect. If you look at the combat options, they aren't actually that severe. Drop your weapon, run out of ammo...these are the things that make the combat more dynamic rather than static. You don't have to use Despairs and Threats to make things more lethal, you can just add complications. And the fun part with that is when you impose an complication that seems difficult, and two turns later the players are using it to their advantage.

So yes, if an opponent's skill would be YYG, then their opposed dice would be RRP, and that's something to embrace.

Do ALL Opposed Checks upgrade the difficulty if the opposer has any ranks in the skill?

Or would/could you just use the Skill ranks to apply that number of Purple dice?

It makes opposed checks very nasty if you can throw 2 or 3 red dice into the pool.

Thoughts?

RD

They upgrade as normal with skill ranks.

There aren't that many opposed checks in this system, but if you don't upgrade the check it gives a HUGE advantage to the instigator of the action. They already have the advantage based upon how the dice results are mapped out.

There aren't many in this system? I feel like they come up all the time. Anytime my Crew wants to deceive someone, I always make the difficulty equal to the target's skill in Cool or Discipline (so if they have a rank in Discipline and three Willpower, the difficulty is RPP). Have I been doing it wrong?

Have I been doing it wrong?

Nope.

It makes opposed checks very nasty if you can throw 2 or 3 red dice into the pool.

No, not "nasty". Instead, think of them as "narrative opportunities". I've said this before, but it bears repeating: the fluff text for Despairs and Threats overstates their effect. If you look at the combat options, they aren't actually that severe. Drop your weapon, run out of ammo...these are the things that make the combat more dynamic rather than static. You don't have to use Despairs and Threats to make things more lethal, you can just add complications. And the fun part with that is when you impose an complication that seems difficult, and two turns later the players are using it to their advantage.

So yes, if an opponent's skill would be YYG, then their opposed dice would be RRP, and that's something to embrace.

Going off topic... but every time I read one of your posts (or anyone who has that profile pic), I hear Mark Sheppard's voice in my head...

There aren't many in this system? I feel like they come up all the time. Anytime my Crew wants to deceive someone, I always make the difficulty equal to the target's skill in Cool or Discipline (so if they have a rank in Discipline and three Willpower, the difficulty is RPP). Have I been doing it wrong?

They are the standard for social checks, but aside from that most skills don't utilize opposed rolls.

Combat doesn't use them.

Piloting rarely uses them.

Mechanics & Medicine doesn't use them.

Knowledge skills don't use them.

Stealth may depending on the circumstances.

There are games where most skill rolls are opposed. This game isn't one of them.

It makes opposed checks very nasty if you can throw 2 or 3 red dice into the pool.

No, not "nasty". Instead, think of them as "narrative opportunities". I've said this before, but it bears repeating: the fluff text for Despairs and Threats overstates their effect. If you look at the combat options, they aren't actually that severe. Drop your weapon, run out of ammo...these are the things that make the combat more dynamic rather than static. You don't have to use Despairs and Threats to make things more lethal, you can just add complications. And the fun part with that is when you impose an complication that seems difficult, and two turns later the players are using it to their advantage.

Pretty much every time a player rolls a Despair in my game, it benefits them in the long run It adds excitement and tension, and can take the game places neither the players nor myself even anticipated. By changing the narrative and introducing new situations, there's usually some benefit to the players down the road.

One of the best parts of this game is that even "bad" rolls are fun to play through