rolling for augments

From: kyle3054 <KyleSchuant_at_...>
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 2009 14:44:29 -0000

Chris Lemens <chrislemens_at_...> wrote:
> what I remember is that you can choose to augment with a single
ability. But it's no longer an auto-augment; you have to roll for a success and you have to have a good story reason to do it. Of course, I could have misremembered it, or just plain made that up.

I hope you didn't make it up, because it would be a good approach! Of course I think so because in rpgs I've written or GMed, it's the approach I've taken.

I usually call them "complementary traits", and say, "you must explain why each one is relevant, and then roll a success with each one, getting +1 on your primary roll for it; this stops when one of the rolls is failed, then you go straight to the primary roll. And of course each complementary trait you bring in makes the primary task take extra time." The time factor plus simple chance of the dice usually keep the complementary traits to just 1 or 2.

I've never GMed HQ, only played it, but it's the approach I'd have taken in play. It's worked for me with GURPS, BRP, my own d4-d4 and GAMERS, and so on.

Cheers,
Kyle
http://thevikinghatgm.blogspot.com/