strange little advancement query

[eruditus]

Am I correct in assuming that AS FAR AS ADVANCEMENT GOES it is always better to be a little locked and damaged than not?

I figure that in most games there are far more ob 3 tests than ob 6 tests. therefore if your at B6 and you drop your dice down to B3 (without getting incapacitated) you're far more likely to advance beyond 6 faster than if you weren't wounded, no?

[Kublai]

You have discovered truth. Only by truly trying the impossible, or trying the ordinary with broken bones and bleeding flesh, can a Master increase his skill.

[luke]

What Pete said.

Push yourself. Take risks.
-L

[eruditus]

Has anyone had PCs rough each other up before trying stuff? :roll:

[luke]

Has anyone had PCs rough each other up before trying stuff? :roll:

Why not just give them the difficult test then? Why go through those mechanical back flips? If they want something that bad -- so bad as to break genre conventions -- then just give it to them.

-L

[eruditus]

Has anyone had PCs rough each other up before trying stuff? :roll:

Why not just give them the difficult test then? Why go through those mechanical back flips? If they want something that bad -- so bad as to break genre conventions -- then just give it to them.

-L

Doesn't that sorta break the whole advancement philosophy? Isn't that sorta giving the squeeky wheel oil? If they're gonna rough themselves up to give themselves advancement opportunities then I am gonna spring something on them they really wish they'd had 6 dice for, more likely. Just call me a stingy GM. And with 3 dice down you know incapaciation is just around the corner.

I was just wondering if anyone experienced players doing this?

[Angaros]

I have characters who like a good fistfight among themselves just for the fun of it, but they wouldn't dream of intentionally hurting themselves before actual combat. It seems to be a case of players not thinking like their characters -- I mean, what sane, or even mildly deranged, person would beat their head against a wall before a fight? Getting hurt isn't much fun and even a Superficial wound is painful. A hardened fighter is used to them, sure, but he's gotta be pretty mental to actually like those wounds. Make sure the players act like the PCs would act, and not just try to take advantage of the situation and abuse the rules.

Another suggestion might be to let them know less about the situation they're getting into. Those thugs might actually be champion fistfighters at the shire fair and the knights might be little more than rich brats with pointy sticks. Uncertainty about situations they meet will make them want to be prepared just to be sure. And those situations where they actually feel certain they'll win are not likely to ever get messy (I wouldn't hassle Tyson to the point where he actually wants to beat me) and if they still do, the resistance will be so weak they won't get any advancement tests anyway.

[Kublai]

I was just wondering if anyone experienced players doing this?

Nope. Players sometimes kid around and suggest it, but no one actually does it. If someone actually tried it, I think I'd ask them to leave the game, though.