On when to roll attune.
So I’ve run quite a few BitD and S&V sessions at this point, and I was hoping to get opinions on how other GM’s adjudicate use of attune.
In both settings I’ve seen a trap where for the player with high attune everything becomes an attune roll:
– “I’m gonna try to intimidate some information out of this guy – the lights flicker as I release spiritual energy and a horrible visage of death appears around me. I ask, coldy, ‘last chance, tell us the password’ as the ghost behind me wails with delight at the possibility of consuming another soul.” Cool right? Is this command (with a ghost)?Is this attune (to intimidate)? Is it attune (summon a ghost) and then command (scare)?
I like the general guidance of “player chooses skill then GM sets effect/etc” since both skills seem appropriate in this case. The issue is a player’s probably going to try to pick their highest skill (that’s fine, play to your strengths PC!), and suddenly any action that has something “weird” brought into it is suddenly attune, whereas other players spread their rolls around.
All the other skills kinda feel like “what” skills, that is, what are you trying to do. Rig an explosive. Pilot a ship. Sway a guard. Whereas attune feels more like a “how” since attuning generally isn’t the end goal itself. Attune to scare a hostage. Attune to consort with the ghost of X.
Any thoughts? This isn’t actually a “problem” or anything, but curious how other folks think about it 😀