Would it unbalance the game if I adjusted the Flashback rules so, if the roll produced a 1-3 result, they would not have to pay the Stress (excluding stress paid over the course of the Flashback itself e.g. Push Yourself)?
Would it unbalance the game if I adjusted the Flashback rules so, if the roll produced a 1-3 result, they would not…
Would it unbalance the game if I adjusted the Flashback rules so, if the roll produced a 1-3 result, they would not…
I got feedback from players for the first couple sessions of Blades in the Dark where they resented paying for taking risks in the past. They could potentially pay for a flashback, go back in time, screw up, and snap back to the present worse off with nothing to show for it.
So, I’ve thought about this quite a bit. Should the damage from flashing back be limited? And there’s more ways than rolling 1-3 to take damage; I had one character have her armor trashed in a flashback (so it was now trashed in the middle of a heist.) What about characters picking up conditions that are apparently quiescent through the heist until a flashback, then snap to the present, and oh yeah, you have a broken wrist?
I ended up without a recommendation for change. Linking the outcome to the flashback to its cost could create a sense of entitlement. I don’t want players trying a flashback, failing to gain an advantage from it, then not paying for it because it didn’t work. Especially since most flashbacks are free or one stress only, and if they cost more then they should be bigger risks, because they’re stretching my credulity at that point and I don’t want their far-fetched schemes to be too free and easy.
To me the stress cost represents the height my eyebrow raises when they do a flashback. I don’t want to give that cost up because their creativity doesn’t pan out.
I think reducing the stress cost for unsuccessful flashbacks is a valid choice a table could make. I’m just saying I understand why you wouldn’t, too.
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Andrew Shields My idea was to keep it so the consequences would carry forward e.g. losing armour, paying stress for abilities/extra dice, but the 0-3 cost of the flashback trigger would be waived if they scored a 1-3. By foregoing that cost until success, it would encourage players to try their luck more, because so far, I’ve had little to no engagement with the flashback mechanics from my table and I’d like to spend less time in prep and more time in flashbacks amidst the action.
Also, as a sidenote: I generally like the idea of deciding how complex an action was AFTER they had done it.
Do they keep asking for really weird flashbacks? If not, just charge them 0 stress. You get to set the cost.