Hazards on Journeys, a variation

[Falenthal]

While I like the mechanic to create and solve Hazards on the fly, adding flavour to the adventure but not halting it, as LM I sometimes feel that the players get no choices or decissions. You just tell them a nice story (or they tell it) about lack of water, or a treacherous path, etc. and simply roll to see the outcome. However nice or interesting the Hazard is described, they still can't do anything about it. It feels like watching a cinematic in a computer game, with your character in it.

I thought about two option to enhance a bit the Hazards mechanics.

1) Allow the use of a Trait meaningful to the situation described to substitute the skill used for the test. It's a twist to the "invoke a Trait to allow a test when none was allowed" characteristic of Traits.
For example: The Scout finds a deep and somewhat rapid river ahead. He'd usually have to roll Explore to find an alternative route or (whatever nasty effect came up from the table). But the player invokes the Boating Trait and explains that he tries to build a raft out of the trees from the shore, using the Craft skill. The consequences of failure or success will be the same as if he used Explore.

2) When a Hazard is described, all of the affected heroes can decide to avoid rolling and, automatically, gain 1 Fatigue point. This should be explained as avoiding to confront the Hazard in some way. Another option would be for the whole group to gain 1 Fatigue; The decission would be still more important.
Example: The Hunters are affected by a Hazard. The LM explains that the group is running low on rations and the hunters try to get something fresh. They find a small group of strange black squirrels in Mirkwood, that don't look tasty or nourishing. They might even be sick. Besides, the group is in a dangerous part of Mirkwood and the TNfor the test is really high. The Hunters can decide to avoid the Hazard and not roll at all: they all increase their Fatigue by 1, but avoid the risk of failing the Hunting test and receiving a worse consequence.

Both are little additions to the rule that, foremost, don't make the resolution of Hazards longer or complicated, but allow for a more choices to the players, in what they want to do and how they want to do it.

[Glorelendil]

1) Allow the use of a Trait meaningful to the situation described to substitute the skill used for the test. It's a twist to the "invoke a Trait to allow a test when none was allowed" characteristic of Traits.
For example: The Scout finds a deep and somewhat rapid river ahead. He'd usually have to roll Explore to find an alternative route or (whatever nasty effect came up from the table). But the player invokes the Boating Trait and explains that he tries to build a raft out of the trees from the shore, using the Craft skill. The consequences of failure or success will be the same as if he used Explore.

It seems to me that the hero could just invoke Boating to auto-succeed on his Explore test. "I'm exploring with a boat I made. All the best explorers do it."

Any examples that can't be explained that way?

2) When a Hazard is described, all of the affected heroes can decide to avoid rolling and, automatically, gain 1 Fatigue point. This should be explained as avoiding to confront the Hazard in some way. Another option would be for the whole group to gain 1 Fatigue; The decission would be still more important.
Example: The Hunters are affected by a Hazard. The LM explains that the group is running low on rations and the hunters try to get something fresh. They find a small group of strange black squirrels in Mirkwood, that don't look tasty or nourishing. They might even be sick. Besides, the group is in a dangerous part of Mirkwood and the TNfor the test is really high. The Hunters can decide to avoid the Hazard and not roll at all: they all increase their Fatigue by 1, but avoid the risk of failing the Hunting test and receiving a worse consequence.

This is almost exactly what I've been doing with "obstacles" in my various forms of underground travel rules, except that to go around costs time instead of Fatigue (time being a bit more precious underground). So instead of, say, all companions having to make an Athletics test to jump over a dreadful gap, they can agree to look for another route.

[Falenthal]

It seems to me that the hero could just invoke Boating to auto-succeed on his Explore test. "I'm exploring with a boat I made. All the best explorers do it."

If that happened at my table, I wouldn't allow to use the Boating trait without having previously crafted a boat. In this particular case, Boating means you can handle a boat, not that you can make a boat or raft appear out of nowhere.

But I get your meaning: usually there's always a Trait that allows for autosucceeding if well reasoned.

That's ok for me, but that doesn't invalidate the proposed option because:

1) Using a Trait for autosucceed doesn't allow for any AP gain. Using a Trait to switch the test to something else (most certainly with a higher skill rating) gives the hero the chance to gain an AP.

2) Traits can't be used for autosucceed all the time. I know this gets into muddy waters, but Traits can't be used for autosucceed if failing the test results in important consequences. Failing the test might lead to a combat, or a Wound, or a Corruption test,... Also, Traits can't be used to overcome tests of high difficulty; if travelling through Daunting terrain, the test might have a TN of 20.
I know that every LM will have his way of seeing this, but let's say no LM would be going against the rules if he disallowed to autosucceed at a test that could impose a Wound on the hero or that has a TN of 20. If that was the case, this mini-rule will simply allow the character a higher chance of succeed (by changing the skill tested to a better one), but not avoiding it.

As for your underground rules, I'll have to take a closer look at them, then.
I decided to go with Fatigue because it is quicker to account for (adding a day to the Journey could imply recalculating the leg of the journey and halting the game for a few minutes).
Also, I think that Fatigue covers a broader range of situations: you can't hunt anything, everyone has to eat less, and gets more fatigued. You decide not to risk crossing the swamp or to take a very large detour instead of bordering the swamp, and everyone gets more fatigued by the longer trek. You decide not to risk sleeping in the cave, set camp under the cold winter sky, and everyone gets a worse rest and wakes up more fatigued. Etc.
Adding time is sometimes more difficult to explain: "Hey, I know I didn't risk fishing those three-eyed trouts, but that doesn't mean I spend a whole day looking for more food! I know we have an urgent mission and are in a hurry!"

[Otaku-sempai]

After reviewed the Boating trait, I would have to rule that it should not, by itself, allow one to craft a boat or raft; I might allow it to lower the difficulty by a level (- TN 2). I also find dubious its use in providing an auto-success for Explore.

[Otaku-sempai]

After reviewed the Boating trait, I would have to rule that it should not, by itself, allow one to craft a boat or raft; I might allow it to lower the difficulty by a level (- TN 2). The appropriate trait might be Shipwright (or Boat-craft?), which does not appear in RAW. I also find dubious the use of Boating in providing an auto-success for Explore.

[Terisonen]

Seems to me that a raft is not a big difficulty to make... Providing you have the material at hand.

[Otaku-sempai]

Seems to me that a raft is not a big difficulty to make... Providing you have the material at hand.

Perhaps not (although making a serviceable raft might be more difficult than some might assume). However, I still think that the trait of Boating does not fully apply. I know how to drive, but that doesn't make me an auto mechanic; nor does an airline pilot necessarily know how to build an aircraft.

[Glorelendil]

1) Using a Trait for autosucceed doesn't allow for any AP gain. Using a Trait to switch the test to something else (most certainly with a higher skill rating) gives the hero the chance to gain an AP.

Ahhh...I misunderstood. I thought you were using the trait to argue for a different skill and auto-succeed. Got it, now. I guess if somebody is volunteering to Scout they probably already have a decent Explore skill, but you're right it might still not be their highest skill.

[Falenthal]

Seems to me that a raft is not a big difficulty to make... Providing you have the material at hand.

Perhaps not (although making a serviceable raft might be more difficult than some might assume). However, I still think that the trait of Boating does not fully apply. I know how to drive, but that doesn't make me an auto mechanic; nor does an airline pilot necessarily know how to build an aircraft.

Remember that the thing about the raft and Boating was just an example.
The point is allowing to change the skill being tested by invoking a Trait and proposing a new way of solving the situation.

[Falenthal]

1) Using a Trait for autosucceed doesn't allow for any AP gain. Using a Trait to switch the test to something else (most certainly with a higher skill rating) gives the hero the chance to gain an AP.

Ahhh...I misunderstood. I thought you were using the trait to argue for a different skill and auto-succeed. Got it, now. I guess if somebody is volunteering to Scout they probably already have a decent Explore skill, but you're right it might still not be their highest skill.

That's it.
Well, yes, probably he has a decent Explore. This is just an extra option to allow players some freedom in how they want to solve Hazards. Otherwise, with the RAW, they might as well say: "Ok, ok,... I don't need to know about deep rivers and scarce food. Just let me roll Explore, see if I succeed, and move on with the adventure."