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[zchris13]

Slug some bandits.

[Nirur Torir]

... It's only a flesh wound. I was expecting explosions.

Go outside, devise a rune of regeneration, and draw it on the ground with a stick. Activate it to heal my hand.

Edit - I should clarify that my character is right handed, and is quite capable of drawing without using his left hand.

[Apostolic Nihilist]

I'll go check out the barracks and start to think up some clever way of expanding it.
Such as modular sections which can be stacked on top of each other.

[RandomNumberGenerator]

... It's only a flesh wound. I was expecting explosions.

There would have been explosions if you rolled a 1 back on the pinecone thing, or on forging the rune. However, you messed up on the smithing, not the runecrafting.

[kilakan]

Cast terra strike on the nearest bandit
That just blows.  We may actually have a chance of dieing, thanks for bringing me along chris.

[zchris13]

Don't you Roll for damage when someone rolls a 1 like that?

Instead of automatically assigning them a moderate wound?

[Apostolic Nihilist]

Don't you Roll for damage when someone rolls a 1 like that?

Instead of automatically assigning them a moderate wound?

Creative liberties ftw. Seriously though, it's about balance — if he rolled a 1 on his damage roll, he would've died. Dying in a smithing accident is not cool.
Damage rolls should be done when you're attacked by enemies, where the damage inflicted varies more.
No matter what you do, smashing your hand with a hammer isn't going to kill you, nor are you going to walk away just fine. It's a pretty specific action.

Getting sliced across the chest when you're wearing chainmail, or something; that is really more up to chance. The angle of the attack, movement in relation to the enemy, etc; those all affect the damage received, but a hammer smash to the hand is pretty static.

[zchris13]

You roll for how exactly you screw up, I always thought.

And two 1's is not enough to kill you.  Maybe if you are doing something stupid, but whatever.  You have to keep some perspective on it.

Two 1's would probably mean a broken arm, or something.

[Nirur Torir]

I think that two ones being fatal is a bit much. It should leave the player critically wounded, but not dead ... Unless they were doing something really stupid, like learning how to fly by jumping off a cliff.

[RandomNumberGenerator]

Don't you Roll for damage when someone rolls a 1 like that?

Instead of automatically assigning them a moderate wound?

I determined it with attack roll-dodge roll.

I suppose I could have had separate damage rolls... Like I said earlier, this is my first RTD. I'm still trying to figure out a good system.

[Apostolic Nihilist]

The point I was trying to get across (it didn't come out very well, I suppose); rolling a 1, then letting the character get off just fine with a 4 or a 5 defeats the purpose of the 1 in the first place.
Let's lay out a couple of scenarios:


(Moderate GM)
"I forge a steel sword." {1}
Taking a chunk of waste metal, you plunge it into the magma furnace! Neglecting to wear gloves, you badly burn your hand.
Damage roll {4}: But fortunately the damage is only aesthetic! You maintain full mobility in your hand!

vs.
(Pacifist GM)
"I forge a steel sword." {1}
Perhaps fate conspired against you, but you are unable to locate any steel around you... or a furnace, for that matter. Furthermore, you have no idea how to begin forging a blade.

vs.
(Evil GM)
"I forge a steel sword." {1}
The blacksmith's shop is filled with dangerous tools. Metallurgy has always interested you, and you decide to test your mettle, forging a blade of your own. With no regard for your safety, you pick up a chunk of metal and shove it into the furnace. After a few minutes pass, you grab the molten steel with your bare palm! It sears through your skin! You now have a hole in your hand, and can no longer perform actions competently with it.


These all arose from the same root action, and ultimately, the end result is really up to the GM. In RTDs, the control lies:
50% in the hands of the GM
30% in the luck of the die
20% with the players

Which 'outcome' is better is really just opinion, at this point; some may find the hilarity of an epic fail enticing, while others might be agitated that their character can't perform seemingly mundane actions.

As for the mechanics; finding a balance between what to roll for and what not to roll for is difficult. I'd say trying to keep it down to one roll per player's action (except during fights) would be best. Too many rules ultimately eat away at what an RTD truly is, at heart.

[zchris13]

The difference between 2 and 1,3 are that two assume you already have found a furnace.

If you have already found a furnace, then the 1 would proceed similarly.

Which one it was, 1 or 3, would depend on your stats. A dumb character would not get the dodge roll, only get the damage roll.

[Apostolic Nihilist]

I'll try this once more.
Let's assume Joe has found a furnace, and now Joe's action is to make a sword. If he rolls a:
6: Joe makes an exceptionally large sword out of all the metal he can find. The blacksmith isn't particularly pleased, however.
5: Joe makes an exceptional sword. The blacksmith lets him keep it, impressed with his craftsmanship.
4: Joe makes an ordinary sword and slips out before the blacksmith notices.
3: Joe can't find any materials! How terrible.
2: Joe tries to make a sword, but he fails and ends up smashing his hand with a hammer!
1: Joe tries to make a sword, but he doesn't know what he's doing and grabs the red-hot steel with his bare hand!

1 and 2 are effectively the same if you have to perform a damage roll.
If Joe rolls a 2 and then a 1, he'll end up badly damaged.
If he rolls a 1 and then a 1, he'll also end up badly damaged.

The only thing that fluctuates would be the 'severity'. Having an experienced character get a dodge roll is unecessary — they'd get a bonus to their roll in the first place. If a 'skilled blacksmith' gets a +1 bonus, the worst he can do is roll a 2, and hence the worst that can happen is a slight hand wound — not entirely unrealistic.

If a 'master blacksmith' gets a +2 bonus, the worst that can happen is that he misplaces some tools. Etc.

Rolling for damage just adds another dimension of complexity which isn't really necessary; rolling 6 times for each character per turn isn't fun for the GM at all, especially if it's for crafting, of all things.

[zchris13]

I disagree with you.  The scale is too linear, for your thing.

It must be EXTREME!!!!

6, same as yours.
5, same.
4, you just start getting things together, and just start work.  The blacksmith wonders what you are doing.
3, You get interrupted by the blacksmith! I guess you should of asked.  Try again, Y/N?
2, You are bewildered by all the stuff, and don't know where to start.
1, You [roll for damage]:

6, don't manage to kill yourself. This time...
5, eh, it's just a scratch.
4, Stubbed toe!
3, OW! my hand! (bruised)
2, aurgh! My arm! (cut)
1, OHSHIT MY FACE (burned)

[kilakan]

In fact, even in real life, you could die in a forge, say 1 for trying, ok say you slip, roll a 1 for dodging of dangerous equipment, of shit you go face first into the furnace, roll for damage and say 1 for damage, you manage to  inhale coals, they proceed to burn your lungs to a cinder, you are dead.