Having run 2 sessions as a GM one thing I'm struggling a bit with is how often and in what cases to add fortune to the party pool, so I'd like to hear what you guys do and how the flow of fortune is in you games.

I'm used to running Exalted so have no issues with adding bonuses on the fly to rolls, but fortune is a good deal better than a few extra dice (imo) to an already large dicepool so I'm wary of adding fortune too often, but feel like I've ended up giving it too rarely now...

Part of the problem could be that since the players are all very new to this system (but otherwise very experienced players) they are sticking to their cards and so aren't doing a lot of descriptions or adding floruishes or ideas to their actions.

I must admit that I often forget it, too, since I'm busy tracking other things and listening to my players play. So here's how I manage it: I mark off a couple of places in every adventure where they should probably get some if they've done a good job: major fights, moments where good RP likely matters, puzzles they might solve in clever ways, etc., and maybe some conditions for giving them (they kill all the forces outside the keep as instructed before coming in so that the people inside aren't tag-teamed by two armies, say.) That way, I have some tangible moments already set out that would work, and I don't have to put much thought into those moments on the fly.

Then, I award for great RP and clever thinking on the fly. I find that fortune points are a great way to show people that you care about their behavior.

At least, with an adventure of 3 Episode divided each in 3 acts, you might think about it at the end of each Act

When my players ask me. Seriously, I keep forgetting, which is not good. So, I've told them to just ask me when they think they deserve it. It works well enough.

To ease the burden of remembering on the GM, we let any player suggest when they think a FP award for another players is appropriate. Can't ask for yourself, but if someone else does something cool, I can say, "fortune point" and if the GM agrees, we get one.

My players forget about the party sheet for some reason. I'd say it's the least used component of the game (next is the location cards).

jh

Emirikol said:

I think it's a GM's job to involve that component in the game : those guys have, for some reason, been chosen to accomplish something they don't even imagine... That's some stuffs I do :

• Good omens, happy banquet, good night drinking at tavern, success in party's goals... tension meter goes down (smoother).
• Big scary encounter, argument between characters, different interests, failures in party'ss common goals... tension meter goes up (harder). I NEVER give penalty to players for being messy or chatty through the tension meter.
• A PC accomplish something who match his personnal goals : +1 fortune... (and maybe -/+1 tension meter if that match/don't match party goals)
• A PC accomplish something that saves another PC of the party : +1 fortune...
• The party succeed the act (3 act/episode and 3 episode/adventure) : +1 fortune...
• Concerning talent share, I strictly demand to the player who share and the other who uses the shared talent to roleplay and explain how that happens... It creates a LOT of excellents scenes.

All good suggestions, but I must add the one that always works for me:

When players provide me a beer without asking.

Emirikol said:

Design wise I think the tiny text allowed for the party ability needed to be enlarged. The party might be more inclined to pay attention if the bulk of the sheet wasn't taken up with how tension hoses them.

My party's still getting used to the mechanics of the game. They socket a talent or two into the card and make use of them, but the party ability has been sorely underutilized. Even when they watch me put fortune into the pool, they forget all those little letters are a benefit for them.

42! said:

I don't think the function f fortune in WFRP is necessarily the same as it is in Exalted. The mechanic, in any case, means that you never directly reward a specific action or cool bit or make it more likely to succeed. In WFRP fortune goes through the party fortune pool, and then dished out to players to use at their own discretion, which is a big difference from Exalted (if I know Exalted - which I don't, really).

Personally, I'm not particularly keen to reward good roleplaying or cool ideas, in that way, anyway. I try to simply give a chunk of fortune whenever the party achieve a noticeable goal.

You're welcome to reward it based on any criteria, but the fact that it goes through the party pool, does change the shape of the reward cycle and also means you never effectively reward the player, only the party.

My answer to this is: when the players do something that impresses me.

That can be good roleplaying, a particularly entertaining dice roll, etc.

It seems to work well for our group.

nub5 said:

42! isn't that much of a beer drinker. *G*

mac40k said:

I love this idea. Not only does it help the GM remember, but it encourages players to appreciate and reward the good work of each other.

I think the beer idea works just fine..

But on a serious note it will take a while for you to naturally think 'oh that deserves a fortune point', but it is a good habit to get into - it is meant to be a dynamic system to provide players with a regular boost for good play - whether that is RP, teamwork, inventiveness or just luck and i for one am awarding fortune points when good play occurs.

The balance between an economy and 'we'll use them for everything because we get them all the time' is a tricky one but i honestly believe that balance is more part of the group than the rules.

Some very nice suggestions, thanks! :-)

I'll definately try the "When other players think it's approapriate" approach and try to think of some moments/situations ahead of time, where it'd make sence to add fortune and see how it works out.

I was thinking increasing the tension meter when a player pulls a couple banes but no successes (as another generic option) as a way to increase the stress the party's experiencing. Sort of ratchet up the drama as they swing and miss or fail to impress the noble during a social encounter...just a thought.

Emirikol said:

I've built my last two sessions around combat in the locations cards with bits of environment to interact with. I went out of my way however when I planned the session. I think it was more of a learning exercise for myself. My part uses the party sheet tactic slots. My PCs are pretty much a combat party and don't know what to do when I try and have a more role playing or investigative type of scenario. So mastering environment stuff and location cards add a degree of what my PCs seem to respond too.