What do people consider challenges?
Every playbook has an xp tracker about “addressing a challenge” with something appropriate to the class. Violence or coercion for the Cutter, calculation or conspiracy for the Spider, etc.
Action roles seem obvious.
But what about gather information? What if my Cutter beats up a few people to get information out of them?
What about downtime activities? If my Cutter scares some people or beats them into submission to stay quiet and reduce hit, is that a challenge?
We had a player at the table make the argument that things like gather information and downtime activities don’t have any real stakes. You can’t really fail per se. Which does make sense.
On the other hand, it’s still adding to the narrative. If my Cutter is always going around beating people up for information or whatever maybe word gets around and it makes my life difficult in some way. Who knows. Seems like either way it’s playing to the Cutter’s nature.
So I’m curious what other people think.
Gather info has some stakes- sometimes standard info is often not the desired amount of info. Other downtime activities do as well; it often feels like wasting an action when you get a 1-3.
But what’s really interesting is the fact players are saying those things aren’t a challenge. That’s a cue to for you. Try narrating the challenges they are overcoming, even in downtime. The patrolling Bluecoats, and how the extra time made that beatdown go smoothly, etc. For gather info.. narrate the opposition as smart and prepared from observation, but Dangit if those PCs aren’t better!
“But what about gather information? What if my Cutter beats up a few people to get information out of them?”
People not wanting to get beat on and fighting back counts as an obstacle : “If there’s an obstacle to the discovery of the answer, an action roll is called for.” (pg. 36)
An obstacle is a challenge and the “stakes” of an action roll are the consequences presented on any roll that is not a 6.
If there is an obstacle to overcome and a roll was made, its a challenge.
Also worth noting that even if they fail the roll, they still get exp because they addressed the challenge in a certain way
Also its up to the player to define what they feel was a challenge to them, as they assign their own exp. Just make sure no one is weasling you.
Thanks for all the input! That’s definitely helpful. I’ll pass it on to the GM & the other players.
Agree with +Antimatter, if there’s stakes and a roll of the dice, it’s a challenge.