Evaluating the outcome of an Encounters optional rule

[Yepesnopes]

Hi all,

The encounter rules seem quite straightforward, but I am a bit confused with them.

Tolerance defines the max number of rolls the fellowship may fail. If they exceed this number the encounter finishes.
Introduction: Is the phase where the fellowship introduces themselves.
Interaction: This is the main body. Where the fellowship intents to achieve their encounter goal/s

It may happen that the fellowship exceed their Tolerance threshold during the Introduction phase, while still scoring some successes.

How would you resolve this? According to the "Evaluating the outcome of an Encounters optional rule" the party may still attain a Narrow Success or a Success even if the encounter finishes at the Introduction phase.

How you handle this?

[Angelalex242]

If that happens, presumably, the fellowship must have some expert talkers and some people with 0 social skills. I believe what's supposed to happen is that the people who failed are 'locked out' of the encounter thereafter. So, since they succeeded with sufficient successes, you narrate success. But you might send the players who failed out of the room so they don't get to hear the secret information you tell the characters who succeeded.

Divide and conquer. Have the NPC think of them in term of 'important people' and 'not important people.' The important people get the best guest rooms available. The not important people may be sleeping in the stables.

[Glorelendil]

I think what you're asking is how can the Encounter be a "partial success" if it ends before it even really starts. That is, the heroes have only introduced themselves, without getting to ask the question they were going to ask, and already it's over. How can that be considered anything but total failure?

Remember that exceeding Tolerance doesn't have to mean the Encounter is over, just that the heroes can't improve the outcome any more. So I think it's fine to continue the conversation, but the LMC has already made up his/her mind.

Example: the heroes are hoping to stay in the home of an LMC. During introductions they exceed Tolerance, but get 2 successes. The table shows that 1-2 successes results in "They can sleep in the barn." The players and LM can keep narrating the scene, but this outcome isn't going to change: they're sleeping in the barn.

Does that make sense?

Note that this may turn out differently for Encounters in which exceeding Tolerance doesn't simply mean the Encounter is over, but that something bad happens, like the LMC immediately attacks the party.

[Yepesnopes]

Remember that exceeding Tolerance doesn't have to mean the Encounter is over, just that the heroes can't improve the outcome any more. So I think it's fine to continue the conversation, but the LMC has already made up his/her mind.

Example: the heroes are hoping to stay in the home of an LMC. During introductions they exceed Tolerance, but get 2 successes. The table shows that 1-2 successes results in "They can sleep in the barn." The players and LM can keep narrating the scene, but this outcome isn't going to change: they're sleeping in the barn.

Does that make sense?

I think it makes sense. I will think of it, but my first impression is that I like it. Thanks!

[doctheweasel]

I'm curious, who here counts successes on the Introduction toward the final count?

I haven't been since the roll is to see if you can participate or not (though I do count failures against Tolerance).

[Glorelendil]

I'm curious, who here counts successes on the Introduction toward the final count?

I haven't been since the roll is to see if you can participate or not (though I do count failures against Tolerance).

Well in that case you are more likely to run into the paradox that Yepe describes: they might end the encounter with zero successes while still doing introductions.

[damiller]

I'm curious, who here counts successes on the Introduction toward the final count?

I haven't been since the roll is to see if you can participate or not (though I do count failures against Tolerance).

I hadn't thought of that, but if you do'nt count failures towards Tolerance during introductions, neither should you coun't successes.

The more I find out about the ENcounter system, the more me likes!!

d

[Glorelendil]

Personally, I'd count both. Success(es) during introductions should have a positive influence on the LMC, and could be all that is required to achieve the groups goals.

[Yepesnopes]

Just in case, to clarify, per RAW, successe and failures during Introduction count.

[doctheweasel]

I'm curious, who here counts successes on the Introduction toward the final count?

I haven't been since the roll is to see if you can participate or not (though I do count failures against Tolerance).

Well in that case you are more likely to run into the paradox that Yepe describes: they might end the encounter with zero successes while still doing introductions.

I believe that is an acceptable outcome. It's not really a paradox; it just means the NPC doesn't care to hear them out.

The narrative oddity — to me at least — is that if you count successes from the introduction, then the party can succeed before they even make a request or argument. In fact, a single good introduction will deliver a "Narrow Success."

My experience in play is that if you count successes from Introductions, then Encounter results end up averaging in the 4+ success range. When I stopped counting them, they were happy to come out with a normal success.