The Unseen Servant forums

I just want a quick clarification for my own peace of mind...

If my STR is 14 and I need to make an attribute check, success is anywhere in the range from 1 to 13, but not 14? Is that how the rules are set up?

"Roll under" was my reading of the opening core rule, but I'm open to being corrected.

From David Black, from "Additional Things"

Does it have to be roll below? Why not on or below?

So even if you have 20 in a stat there's always a legitimate chance of failure.

Cheers Rusty, that might be where I picked that up.

That makes sense. Thanks.

Tamerlaine wrote:That makes sense. Thanks.

It is nice there is a real reason behind it, rather than the arbitrary rule of "no matter the modifiers, a 1 is always a failure" that I am used to from other games, particularly tabletop miniature games like Mordheim.

I am looking forward to seeing how this crawl progresses. I keep wanting the distant water be the flow that group 2 is near, but then I think it might be better if it isn't and we come upon one another elsewhere. SUSPENSE!!!!!!

If anyone needs them, here are the System Reference Documents for The Black Hack:

Core Rules: http://the-black-hack.jehaisleprintemps.net/english/
Additional Things: http://the-black-hack.jehaisleprintemps ... hings.html

Okay, I'm back! What did I miss? Oh, I guess I should go read.

Pulpatoon & Stridor: Do you think that we should ask this statue about the other party? If for nothing else to unburden the DM from running simultaneous games.

That's a considerate idea, but I can't think of why our characters wouldn't be asking directly after their quarry.

As GM, it'll be easy enough for cmrsalmon to have us bump into one another when he feels like it. For that matter, we still hadn't left the company of Imperial Prisoners when he started the second game thread, when it would have been very easy to add them to our group, so I'm assuming he has specific plans for them.

Pulpatoon wrote:....so I'm assuming he has specific plans for them.

Also famous last words. But for us.

Not to butt in, but i would be sorely tempted to just ask for a way out that keeps you safely out of imperial hands. But that would cut the game short, wouldn't it?

Pulpatoon: Yeah, that's why I was trying to be subtle in character. BTW, you are an excellent player - you do a lot with just a few choice words. This is my first game and I'm still fumbling about. But I'll get better.

Rusty: That statue told me to tell you to 'click your heels'...and say something about home.

Thanks! Unseen Servant has been a great place to hone the ol' rpg chops!

Cmrsalmon, did you ever rule on how we were supposed to roll usage dice for our torches? Was it one roll for all d6 torches, subtracting that many (and then roll again for the second use)? Or did each of the 6 torches get two rolls, indicating that a torch might have been partially used up?

I did it the former way, losing all my torches. Lab mix (I believe) did it the second way, which definitely worked out better, as there was a chance for each torch that it might have been preserved, whereas my method meant that at least one was used up with each roll.

Thanks.

Rusty Tincanne wrote:Cmrsalmon, did you ever rule on how we were supposed to roll usage dice for our torches?

Yes, we did sort that out.

Vile wrote:I guess this counts as the official answer from David Black over on G+ (although, as ever, the referee has the final say):

David Black wrote:I use torches individually, but allow players to carry up to 6 in a 'slot'.

That doesn't seem like an answer to me. It doesn't say how we should be rolling for usage, really. I still read that as "each torch counts as one pip on a d6" because it specifically says there are 6 torches in a bundle.
I like your interpretation more since it extends torches, but it doesn't make sense in the real world. If we are in a cave and light a torch, we wouldn't put it out and save it for later, lighting another instead. And even if we did, the torches would last the same length of time, wouldn't they?

Because I can still see if both ways, I will wait for Salmon to weigh in.

My understanding is that each torch has a UD of 1d6, and 6 torches take up one 'slot' of encumbrance.

FWIW, I actually think that a usage die for a single torch makes more sense than a usage die for most consumable items. After all, it's possible to count out a specific number of arrows, but torches (especially at the technology level we're working with) will probably just be known to last "about X minutes," with some of them actually being more robustly constructed, and some worse.

So, the Great Torch Debate.

I thought one inventory slot with a usage die won because it was simple, but I appreciate the alternatives.

The key question is how frequently does everyone actually want to roll?

If the rule is "6 torches per slot, 1d6 usage die per torch" (which I have no issue with in theory), what triggers the usage roll? Roll every 10 mins?

Okay. I rerolled for my torches and posted it in the game thread. But what happens if I roll a 1-2 on the d6? Does that take the torch to d4 and then gone? Or is it just gone?

So far I like these game mechanics. They are definitely simplified/streamlined and offer a sense of harshness to the environment. Torches are an exception though. Rather than simplified, it just seems vague.