The characters in our campaign are about to encounter something major from their pasts. This made me wonder if a GM can automatically trigger Obligation when something like this occurs. Or for that matter, can a GM automatically also trigger Duty and/or Morality as well if it would fit the story and make for an epic situation?

I figured maybe a GM could flip a dark destiny point maybe for Obligation, maybe one for each character triggered?

If so, then I'm at a loss what to do for Duty and Morality. Maybe for these rare, epic showdowns I could allow them to roll for their Duty and/or Morality again?

But if this is a defining moment for the character and/or the culmination of a 2 year campaign IRL, I feel it make sense that they would all trigger. Idk.

Any thoughts?

Triggering the mechanic is a narrative prompt and a mechanical benefit/negative. It should never discourage you from including the characters' Duties, Obligations, or Morality.

I often include them just as a way to get the players involved. Especially considering that if you have a killer (possibly literally) idea for including an Obligation, and it never gets triggered, then you're screwed.

If it is just a matter of the mechanical benefit/penalty, I'd say apply the benefit/penalty when the characters realize that their Duty or Obligation has been used. For Morality, I'm not particularly familiar with the mechanic as I don't have FaD (yet), but I'd say sure, why not (but if it really is the end, Morality triggering wouldn't effect anything, right?)?

I'd suggest clearing it with the players (unless it needs to be a surprise), but if it is only as regards the mechanical effects, I'd say that for something as significant as the end of the campaign, you as GM can just auto-trigger it or re-roll until you get a result on the chart.

I hope this helps!

In short.

YES!!!

Is there a specific need for them to be triggered as opposed to coming into play normally because they're relevant? Triggering those things has effects beyond "they relate to the storyline", and in the case of obligation, mass-triggering it is detrimental to the group's effectiveness.

In the case of a major episode where you know these things are all going to come up, it might be better to skip the trigger rolls entirely since there's no need for a 'roll randomly to see which one will matter in this story' shtick.

Just now, Garran said:

In the case of a major episode where you know these things are all going to come up, it might be better to skip the trigger rolls entirely since there's no need for a 'roll randomly to see which one will matter in this story' shtick.

Maybe this is the way to go. And yes, this is a case of major character background stuff coming up. For example, a nemesis NPC that a character has a 10 Obligation of Betrayal towards is showing up in person for the first time since the betrayal. I envision a scene sort of like when Han first saw Darth Vader sitting at the head of the table on Cloud City.

Now, do I trigger the obligation at the beginning of that session or at the moment the PC first sees their nemesis in game? I'm thinking at the precise moment the PC sees the nemesis during the game is more dramatic. I'll flip a dark destiny point, reveal the nemesis, and trigger the obligation. Something like that?

Maybe a fear check would be in order too?

In hindsight, maybe it's more fair to flip a dark destiny point, reveal the nemesis, and do the fear check.

Actually, would it be silly to flip a dark destiny point, reveal the nemesis, do the fear check, and if a Despair is rolled then trigger the Obligation?

I don't think a DP is necessary at all. Just reveal the Nemesis, trigger Obligation, and then make a fear check.

My advice would be to always roll the obligation in secret and not telling them the result immediately. You only need to bring it up as soon as they are about to do something with their strain. Build it up by "having a bad feeling about this" moments or some bad dreams - and, to throw them a little off, leave it with only that sometimes.

Besides nowhere is written that this stuff only comes up when the dice say so, you can bring it up without a negative side effect also.

And maybe the most important thing I experienced: if you have to "cheat" on the obligation roll (that's why you should roll in secret) for some well-fitting and awesome idea you have for that session "Just do it!" just not too often.

The obligation roll and its part in the story is 2 different things.

Rolling at the start of session shows how much the stress of the obligation burdens the characters.

Story is whatever you choose to play.

You can link the 2 together, but the roll does not tell you where to go with the story. Only that the characters are preoccupied by (for example) the bounty on their head.

So many people misread it, thinking obligation only comes up when you roll it.

Obligations were the main reason I bought A&A.. more npcs to throw a lightsaber at... TBH any time I'm running dry during a game if the players go off on a tangent I've got the Environmental Encounters pdf ready too, the creatures ready, I'm even renaming some of the dead (read Greedo) npcs to use as Nemesis if I need it.... defintely use Obligation to keep the game running...I'd started snipping tool all the creatures from the various scanned stuff...