One thing I've started to do is to check with the players what they feel is a failure level that's acceptable, before we start a contest or even a scenario. We've done one initiation quest, for instance, and we're about to do a devotion quest.
In the first case, the PC needed to join that sub-cult to be accepted as part of the group. Failing initiation was not acceptable. (Dying, incidentally, was compulsory - this is a Humakt sub-cult we're talking about!). How much he got out of it in the way of new knowledge and magic was what was going to vary.
In the second case, we've agreed that failing to make devotee is not only acceptable, it's quite likely. Failing on the "can never ever try again" level, however, is not. So I can "impose" all sorts of interesting ways to fail, as long as they're within the agreed parameters.
In the future, they'll be taking part in historically significant events. Going by past discussion, what they'd like is that "Lunars win at Iceland" is not acceptable, but that "Orlanthi win by the actions of NPCs, despite PCs screwing it up, and everyone knows it" is acceptable. If they end up fleeing the area minus most of their belongings, cursed by their gods, and followed by the jeers of their former allies, fine, but Future History stays put. Somehow.
Powered by hypermail