Clarify failure for me

[buzz]

While I appreciate the answers thus far, I think a basic part of this rule is being overlooked. It is possible that the original goal is never completed. The twists can keep spinning the story further and further away until such a point is reached in which resumption is nonsensical.

You can and should go from twist to twist to twist to twist, etc. Twists are new situations, once presented the players might not even want to go back to their original goal.

That's on page 91, second column first paragraph.

-L

Thanks, Luke.

But what I'm needing clarity on is the player's intent for that roll, not their goal or the mission goal. I know the mission continues, and that's how I read p. 91. The twist diverts the mission, not the intent of that failed roll. The intent is never achieved.

Example from my game: Sloan's player wants to use the Glazier skill to help repair the windows in Honeywind's bakery, in the hopes of impressing Thom. Sloan's player rolls and does not beat the obstacle.

My reading: Sloan fails to repair the windows and (twist) the window frames are now completely ruined by her efforts, so Honeywind's baker is even worse off than before.

The other reading: Sloan does eventually repair the windows, but (twist) something about the process puts her, I dunno, in debt to Lester, her enemy.

This is what I'm asking about. The "other" reading says that every roll results in an achieved intent; it's just a matter of the cost to achieve it. My reading says that a Twist means the roll's intent is not achieved.

What I don't know is which reading is correct.

[luke]

You're overthinking this, Buzz.
What does the book say?

-L

[buzz]

You're overthinking this, Buzz.
What does the book say?

-L

As far as I can tell, on a biffed roll you either fail with a twist, or you succeed with a condition.

[luke]

And what's a twist?

[buzz]

A Twist is a new plot complication.

E.g., not only do you not find the grain peddler, he's been eaten by a snake that's prowling the area you are in.

[luke]

Right. Mechanically, a twist is a new obstacle. An obstacle is overcome using one or more tests.

[buzz]

Right. Mechanically, a twist is a new obstacle. An obstacle is overcome using one or more tests.

Right! But they still failed to achieve the original test's intent, correct? Successive obstacles may eventually lead them to the grain peddler, but that initial one does not, right?

I mean, they find the peddler's body because one of the players has the presence of mind to say, "Hey, I'll bet the peddler was eaten by that big snake Lieam just killed. We should cut it open to find out!" If no one had thought of that, the players would not find the peddler's body, because the original Scout test was failed.

More e.g.: in the Sloan example I give above, Sloan does not successfully repair the windows. The Twist might eventually lead to the windows getting fixed, but it's not going to be because of her biffed roll. It's going to be because of some other obstacle that was overcome.

[Stormtower]

A Twist is a new plot complication.

E.g., not only do you not find the grain peddler, he's been eaten by a snake that's prowling the area you are in.

Right. The twist leads to another check or conflict.

And in the case that the comic book ended up with: Kenzie, Saxon, and Lieam FOUND the grain peddler ... it just happens that he's dead.

[luke]

Tower,
I appreciate your input, but let me work this out with Buzz.

Thanks
-L

[Serpine]

<Sorry>