A neat aspect of the Genesys™️ RPG system (which is also used in the Star Wars™️ RPG) is that a dice roll can result in more than just success or failure. You can have combined advantages, threats, triumphs or despairs. This can lead to interesting but also contradictory results.
I have noticed that these contradictory results can be challenging for me during play. Especially contradictory results like success with despair or failure with triumph can be difficult to interpret, depending on the situation. And the tables in the rulebook are mere suggestions that cover only a handful of cases and some interpretations are quite vague.
I’m currently preparing for the next session and I came up with the idea to think about possible dice result interpretations for situations I anticipate to occur. Over time I want to gather a collection of result interpretations for various situations and contexts that will help me in case I have a improvisation blackout during play. And I hope that you can gain inspiration from it. :)
In this and follow up posts I will describe a situation with an intention of the player characters (PCs) and the corresponding ability check together with the interpretation of the result.
Let’s start …
- Context: The PCs are engaged to stop a rebellion of mine workers.
- Situation: The PC want to improve the payment by x% (Negotiation-Check).
- Success: The client agrees to a raise …
- with Advantage:
- … and agrees to an advance payment.
- … and allows the PCs to take what they find in the mine.
- with Triumph: The client accepts all demands from the PCs.
- with Threat:
- … but at a lower rate.
- … but the PCs have to hand over the leader of the rebellion alive, otherwise the client pays only the originally offered price.
- … but the PCs have to find evidence of whom initiated the rebellion, who supports the rebellion, further plans, etc. otherwise the client pays only the originally offered price.
- with Despair: … but the client will pay the party only after the mission was successful and the PCs handed over the leader of the rebellion alive and bring evidence of whom initiated the rebellion, who supports the rebellion, further plans, …
- with Advantage:
- Failure: The client declines …
- with Advantage:
- … but offers equipment/amunition/health packs.
- … but offers that a doctor will fix up the PCs after the mission.
- with Triumph: … but offers a bonus once the rebellion is stopped and the mine works again.
- with Threat:
- … and will pay the group only after the mission was successful.
- … and the PCs have to hand over the leader of the rebellion alive, otherwise the client will reduce the originally offered price.
- … and the PCs have to find evidence of whom initiated the rebellion, who supports the rebellion, further plans, etc. otherwise the client reduces the originally offered price.
- with Despair:
- … and the client will pay the party only after the mission was successful and the PCs handed over the leader of the rebellion alive and bring evidence of whom initiated the rebellion, who supports the rebellion, further plans, …
- with Advantage:
So basically if the PCs were successful and have Advantage/Triumph they get what they want with bonus. If they were successful with Threat/Dispair they get their raise but with harder mission objectives. If they were unsuccessful, but with Advantage/Triumph, they will get other or delayed boni. If they were unsuccessful, but with Thread/Despair, the mission objectives get harder without more payment.
If you have suggestions how to interpret the dice results, let me know!
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