So here's a little thought I had last night. Corruption in the new system is nice but my pesky players keep passing their tests. This will not do, the dark gods are angered by the failure to sprout tentacles and stuff.

But of course the path to corruption is not just about the failure to defend your self against the influence of Chaos but also choosing to accept it's gifts. And sometimes these gits can be quite subtle.

So here's my new house rule, it's quite simple:

A player can choose to swap a Challenge dice on any test for a point of Corruption.

Really need to beat the bad guy? Then why not make it a bit easier. Don't worry about the cost, it's for a good cause....

Thoughts anyone?

scimon said:

A good idea if the party supports it. I can't see a group of righteous paragons doing that. But the reverse is a good idea as well. The GM can spen players corruption by adding purple dice to their dice pool in important fights against chaos. The suggestion was 1 die per point, but I find that way too cheap. I'd go with 2-3 dice per point. Or let them have an extra challenge die to all checks for the rest of the encounter.

Well that's the thing, it's a choice. If the players want to be righteous goody two shoes then they can suck it up and roll their Challenge dice. But when they are looking at those three purple dice nestled in their hand well... it might just be tempting.

And temptation is fun right?

My thought is if they do go with it the Corruption is treated as normal from then on, including the GM's right to pick it up and fondle it will smiling on occasion. That is in the rules right?

scimon said:

Yes I agree... I just don't see how to explain it fluff wise, unless you're actively involved in some dark magic, have a chaos artifact or have made a pact. I don't see it as something they can just do, trying to push themselves and then get corruption for it.

I can understand it if the character is dealing with dark magic, has found a magic chaos sword or necklace that allows him to do this. But as a basic option it just seems wrong.

Well I see it that the Gods are watching the PC's. They are... interesting. So the option is there, to be that little bit better or luckier. It's more a story thing than a physical mechanic.

The gods just tweak reality to make things more interesting. Or something.

I'm fully expecting the players to not fall for my blandishments, for some reason they think I'm trying to torment them all. Don't know where they got that idea from.

Rad idea scimon.

What if you treated corruption like "evil fortune dice." That way it could give the players more options than just circumventing challenge dice (which is still fine as you originally put forth). You could then have a bigger carrot to dangle in front of them. Now instead of waiting for Fortune to refresh on the uncontrolled whim/circumstances set forth by the GM and size of the party they can be "masters of their own fate" and gain a corruption point to gain a fortune die (separate from the party pool so as not to affect that mechanic). You could even up the ante and let them store more than three fortune points for the minor price of a corruption point per die they go over the limit (1 for 1, 2 more for the 2nd, 3 more for the 3rd...so on).

Get a player in a situation where they have three fortune points and really need a fourth (perhaps to recharge a critical ability in a pinch)? Sure Wilhelm...you can have another fortune die...it'll just cost two corruption points (one for the additional die and one for the increased max).

If players start to really abuse the system and it doesn't come out punishing enough for the gimping they put on your scenarios? Up the corruption cost, or increase the corruption cost for each fortune die they add in a given play session.

Fortune favors the bold..er..mutant!

I'm firmly expecting my players to never take the offer up. Well not unless things get really bad.

I like this!

I've always used corruption as a way to tell players that it's okay if they want to murder a few city guards as long as they now that the Gods of Chaos are clapping their scaly hands. And I mean I just give it to them. It can always be taken away with an added difficulty dice.

I thought people might like an update on this. Last night my Priest of Sigmar was down, bleeding from myriad rat bites. The Mystic had excelled taking down three (wounded) ratmen but was breathing heavily (6 fatigue with a toughness of 3 oh dear). The Ironbreaker was moving slowly bleeding and swearing having breathed in the noxious fumes from the Skaven Grey Seer, who was still looking hale and hearty. The Wardancer took all this in through the grey clouds threatening to drag her down (again 6 fatigue with a toughness of 3) and put in one last effort to take down the grey seer.

Suddenly she felt a burst of energy giving her the strength to surge forward and strike down the Ratman. Well hit him really hard, at which point he disappeared in a puff of smoke and ran off.

Yup one of my players took me up on the offer and dropped her purple dice from a check when the party was on the edge of defeat enabling her to fight off the big bad guy. And I've got a whole new plot thread from it too.

So that was pretty cool, I think I'll keep this house rule.