My Dread Inspired Jenga Mechanic

By Epoin, in Dark Heresy Gamemasters

Posted at

Hey All,

A few weeks ago I introduced a jenga/fate mechanic to our game and it has been quite fun. The table goes silent when ever anyone pulls on the blocks of fate.

I think of the jenga tower as portions of fate the pcs can pull at to their advantage. Also any BBEG with fate points can use the the tower. Toppling the tower has dire consequences, and once you have committed to it you cannot stop. Some of the towers benefits duplicate those of fate points. If you choose to use the tower and fail, you cannot then use a fate point. You can however combine the benefits of multiple pulls

The options are as follows
Price | Benefit
1/per | +5% on a skill roll for each block pulled
2/per | +1dmg on a single attack, must be made before attack roll
1/per | +1 pen on a single attack, must be made before attack roll
3 | Reroll the skill test, can only be used once per test
10 | Counts as the effect of burning a fate point, you are still alive

Also to prevent people from simply stopping when the tower gets to perilous i have a end of game chart. Should the tower topple at the end it is a less sever consequence. Ie last game it was +100xp if the made it, -100xp if the failed…. they failed!

One player is selected as the roller
1-10.) All is well, The Emperor smiles upon your group, high fives all around. refresh all spent fate points

11-21) The player who faced the jenga the least amount of times must pull 1d5 blocks. In the case of several players not jengaing each must pull 1d10
22-32.) The player who pulled the most blocks must pull 1d5 more. If no player jengaed, refer to option 2
33-43.) Any player that used jenga to to boost a skill roll, rolls on the perils of the warp table with the amount they used to boost added to their roll.
44-54.) It's better then bad Its good! Something good happens
55-65.) All but the roller must pull 1d5 blocks
66-76.) The roller may pull 1d10 blocks, If successful gain one permanent fate point
77-87) Blood for the blood God, Arms for the arm chair! Your groups demonic nemesis the master of arms appears for 1d10 rounds
88-99.) Any one that has used a reroll must roll once on this chart. The roller also rerolls. reroll any other results that land on this consequence.
00.) Make one wish, it might be granted

Posted at

I guess I just don't quite understand what this adds. Are you using this mechanic instead of Fate Points or is it an option if the players don't want to spend Fate Points?

Posted at

Using it in addition to fate points.

It has added alot of fun, and tension to the game. I also fell it has allowed me to ramp up the difficulty, and deadlyness of the game