Standard practice is for Obligation to be rolled at the start of each session, visibly, and for all players to see/witness. Frankly, I don't like running it this way, and am looking for feedback on the alternative timing and visibility of the Obligation roll.

Obligation is, to me, less of a mechanical feature of the game ("Spin the wheel and find out who gets the COMPLICATION of the session!") and more of a narrative feature -- an ability for the GM to structure character-bore plot hooks into a given session. As a GM, I find I can do a much better job of this if I know in advance what the Obligation roll result will be. It's not that I'm opposed to working it on the fly -- FFG's system requires any GM to be very nimble -- but rather that integrating session plot *and* Obligation gives the overall impression of a coherent story, rather than a series of character-specific vignettes.

This "seamless" quality of Obligation plotting raises a couple of options for me, each with advantages and drawbacks.

Alternative Option 1: Roll Obligation at the end of each session, visible to the group

I know several GMs who do this already. This one has the advantage of keeping the roll visible, and PCs knowing whether they will have a story hook in the next session. The disadvantage with this option is the same as with the RAW option: it's a bit too metagamey for my tastes. A PC will know in advance that a good portion of the session will be devoted to them, or that at least some action of theirs will serve as a hinge for the party's Obligation size. It's not a bad tradeoff for what Obligation does, which is still overall very positive for the narrative system. But it still strikes me as a bit too hyper-aware, as a mechanic.

Alternative Option 2: Roll Obligation invisibly before each session, GM-only visibility

This is my preferred option: while still keeping the party informed of their Obligation values (and the corresponding effects their actions will have on these levels), I prefer the more seamless option, that allows me as the GM to work it into the plot. I like this option because it maintains some of the suspense of not knowing what will be coming, as well as deferring one thing I've noticed PCs do, which is to "Obligation Game" scenarios that obviously relate to this mechanic. (By this I mean that they will switch gears in order to pay down their Obligation in a metagamey, rather than RP-focused way.) This option has obvious drawbacks as well: the system is not intended to work this way, and it might seem a bit too GM-Screen-y for some PCs. Obligation is already subject to some pretty mysterious mechanics (how much is gained/paid off for various actions? there's never a set measure), and this option only deepens that mystery.

I think the compromise action is likely Option 1, but as a writer/GM it's not my preference.

Thoughts, or alternative suggestions?

Option 3: forget about it entirely and bring in the Obligation-related encounters/issues when it's relevant to the story and has the most impact. No GM should be held hostage to what is essentially a board-game mechanic.

Alternative option 1 is the one pushed by Order 66 Podcast, and sounded interesting, I've not actually played with any of these options though (our GM just rolls at beginning of session and doesn't say).

I guess a lot depends how GM story and how collaborative your group is, though.

Option 3: forget about it entirely and bring in the Obligation-related encounters/issues when it's relevant to the story and has the most impact. No GM should be held hostage to what is essentially a board-game mechanic.

One of my current groups is playing a close-to-the-book EotE campaign. I sold them on the setting (over F&D) predominantly on the strength of the Obligation mechanic. I get what you're saying, but I will do my best to use a per-session roll -- at least at the start, to satisfy their expectations.

It's hard to not have "metagamey" thinking at times when you're in a narrative game system. Sure, you can try to fight it, but is it really worth the effort?

Either option (including 3) is RAW. I don't think I recall anything which says it needs to be -immediately- before the next session, just that it's rolled "before each session" and also don't know it's ever been mentioned to have it rolled in front of the players. Flipping through the GM section, it also specifically calls out you may not want to to have a story/adventure impact right away or at all.

I also support Option 1. It's like a cliffhanger to leave the players wondering until next session.

Either option (including 3) is RAW. I don't think I recall anything which says it needs to be -immediately- before the next session, just that it's rolled "before each session" and also don't know it's ever been mentioned to have it rolled in front of the players. Flipping through the GM section, it also specifically calls out you may not want to to have a story/adventure impact right away or at all.

P. 307

" Before each game session, the GM makes an Obligation check (see page 41). The greater the group's Obligation is, the greater the chance that it will come directly into play during that session." (emphasis mine)

" Before each game session, the GM makes an Obligation check (see page 41). The greater the group's Obligation is, the greater the chance that it will come directly into play during that session." (emphasis mine)

"Before" is debatable. After the last session is technically "before" the next session...

If I was forced to use the Obligation mechanic, I'd roll after the current session to give myself time to plan, and I'd only feel compelled to let the players know ahead of time if it suited the story, maybe a between-session email saying "You hear through the grapevine that...XXX". My concern isn't about meta-gaming, because I don't know that the player could do anything about it that would throw me off more than they usually do , but it's more about weaving a story without the obvious injection of mechanics. "The dice say the bounty hunter shows up today" doesn't seem like storytelling to me.

Option 3: forget about it entirely and bring in the Obligation-related encounters/issues when it's relevant to the story and has the most impact. No GM should be held hostage to what is essentially a board-game mechanic.

I love you and want to have your frog babies.

Or... frogspawn. Whatever. Assuming you're actually a frog. You wouldn't lie to us about that, would you?

I'm definitely part of the Option 3 Club myself; but between the two which OP actually asked about, I'd definitely choose 2.

Option 3: forget about it entirely and bring in the Obligation-related encounters/issues when it's relevant to the story and has the most impact. No GM should be held hostage to what is essentially a board-game mechanic.

I love you and want to have your frog babies.

Ha, your pond or mine?

Or... frogspawn. Whatever. Assuming you're actually a frog. You wouldn't lie to us about that, would you?

Er...welllll... actually... ( begins to peel away rubber mask ) ...

[super-gross spawning]

GUYS YOU GUYS
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN
GET IT OFF
GET IT OFF

This discussion is becoming a TAD bit POLE-arizing...

This discussion is becoming a TAD bit POLE-arizing...

/BeavisVoice

Huh-huh...you said "pole." A-huh-huh.

/endBeavisVoice

Apologies for derailing

But, um, yeah - I feel Obligation works better when it's manually incorporated into the story at an appropriate point. I don't use the numbers either.

Background is great, but this is meant to be a narrative, story-driven game, and I feel that being beholden to dice rolls on something as important as a story thread defeats the object. For me; YMMV.

Now back to your scheduled frog jokes!

Ha, your pond or mine?

Actually, you're kinda cute. Sure, the hair's a bit thinning, but that's a cute face, and I like a guy who can rock shades like that.

Right, that's why I put "-immediately-" in my answer. The p. 307 text you quoted doesn't say anything about when the roll needs to be done except before the next session and it will have its' effects in that next session. I was just trying to say that either way you're within RAW. In my game I roll at the end of the previous session for the reason Atama mentioned, it's a little cliffhanger/lead in for the next session to keep them wondering between games.

So do any of you Option 3ers have an alternative for the Throwing Credits talent?

Ha, your pond or mine?

Actually, you're kinda cute. Sure, the hair's a bit thinning, but that's a cute face, and I like a guy who can rock shades like that.

Heh, if only that were me. That's the lawyer from Battlestar Galactica, I think he might be the frog you're after

Ha, your pond or mine?

Actually, you're kinda cute. Sure, the hair's a bit thinning, but that's a cute face, and I like a guy who can rock shades like that.

Heh, if only that were me. That's the lawyer from Battlestar Galactica, I think he might be the frog you're after

Nuh-uh! That's the former Imperial Intelligence officer/slicer who left my campaign after two sessions!

No, wait...he's a small-time criminal from Persephone!

No wait...he's an FBI agent during the Nixon administration.

No wait...he's.....

I do it secretly before each session and work out how it can fit into the session overall. I don't add any strain effects until SOMETHING happens that affects them, although if it's a small obligation factor and the story really doesn't suit I might just send the character a message just before we start and work from there. I like the way it can be slotted into a session but I'm not going to let it complete derail plans, if they're in the middle of operations on Hoth I'm not going to make a big fuss over their base obligation relating to somewhere at the opposite end of the galaxy.

Ha, your pond or mine?

Actually, you're kinda cute. Sure, the hair's a bit thinning, but that's a cute face, and I like a guy who can rock shades like that.

Heh, if only that were me. That's the lawyer from Battlestar Galactica, I think he might be the frog you're after

Nuh-uh! That's the former Imperial Intelligence officer/slicer who left my campaign after two sessions!

No, wait...he's a small-time criminal from Persephone!

No wait...he's an FBI agent during the Nixon administration.

No wait...he's.....

Crowley, the King of Hell in Lucifer's absence.

Well i can only speak about second option since i use it from the start of my GM'ing EoTE. Obligation to me is a plot device not a random encounter or bare modifier for strain treshold. As a gm i try to prepare ahead. My players don't need me to roll openly since they trust i don't abuse this mechanic. Also by doing rolls at home after the session i can prepare relevant plot tied to specific player. Because of that when obligation is triggered it is memorable and have impact on player. They don't know what will happen and sometimes obligation comes in play in middle of session. (i don't lower their strain treshold before)

I don't see any reason to roll openly or before the session. And i don't see any reason that players should push for that option. If you don't trust your gm you should not play with him/her. Btw why you think this mechanic is designed this way? Some of my players don't even know how much obligation they have besides in game clues and it never was a problem.

So do any of you Option 3ers have an alternative for the Throwing Credits talent?

Oh, I absolutely have Obligation impact the story... it just happens when I want it to, not when the dice say so.

I still have strain penalties for all manner of things, when it's realistic for a character to feel stressed.

Smokin' Jo has that one. She has Family as her Obligation, she's a scion of the Star Wars equivalent of the Kennedy dynasty. So when her family gets involved in her misadventures, and she'd rather they didn't, she blows some cash to overcome the stress she feels when her degenerate skank of a mother comes looking for her. Perhaps as a bribe - "You never saw me, I was never here! These aren't the tomboys you're looking for!" Or she buys some Death Sticks and chain-smokes them until her heartbeat returns to normal. Or she buys a new twi'lek plushie doll and hugs it until the traumatic flashbacks subside...