Author Topic: [Destiny] Adding game mechanical value to the Cues?  (Read 4036 times)

koraq

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[Destiny] Adding game mechanical value to the Cues?
« on: 24 August 2021, 14:07:41 »
Hi

I have been pondering some ways to make the Cues get some mechanical effect, and not just be narrative starting points. Have anyone tried that? How about a Cue adding a +1 to the roll if it's relevant for the action at hand, kind of like a very weak Fate Aspect?

Kerfuffin(925)

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Re: [Destiny] Adding game mechanical value to the Cues?
« Reply #1 on: 24 August 2021, 19:30:52 »
A group I was in decided we should use them as FATE style aspects. Spend the plot point for a +2 or a better narrative effect. If it’s an always on +1 based on your aspect that’d be a bit much.

We also decided we should have a GM. It was more like a FATE game than as written, which made me feel much better about it.
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Sartris

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Re: [Destiny] Adding game mechanical value to the Cues?
« Reply #2 on: 24 August 2021, 21:13:36 »
A group I was in decided we should use them as FATE style aspects. Spend the plot point for a +2 or a better narrative effect. If it’s an always on +1 based on your aspect that’d be a bit much.

We also decided we should have a GM. It was more like a FATE game than as written, which made me feel much better about it.

this, yeah. the fun thing about FATE aspects is that they're supposed to be designed as a double-edged sword so the GM can compel the player into "interesting" situations

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koraq

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Re: [Destiny] Adding game mechanical value to the Cues?
« Reply #3 on: 25 August 2021, 00:45:31 »
Yeah, I'm going to use it more traditionally, with a GM and all. The Plot Points reminded me of Bennies from Savage Worlds, so I'm going to use them as such. The Cues, though, I'm more unsure about. They are after all a part of the game system name even...
« Last Edit: 25 August 2021, 01:16:58 by koraq »

Dahmin_Toran

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Re: [Destiny] Adding game mechanical value to the Cues?
« Reply #4 on: 25 August 2021, 18:03:45 »
I always thought about using it as a +1 bonus. But then I would like you need to limit the number of Cues.

rogueranger1993

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Re: [Destiny] Adding game mechanical value to the Cues?
« Reply #5 on: 27 August 2021, 16:44:58 »
I'm going to somewhat take a cue (giggle ^-^) from a reddit post I found discussing some house rule ideas for Destiny, that has just what you want, and which I plan to use in my own games.

Firstly, tags and cues can each be 'activated' once per session, so long as the GM agrees that the tag/cue fits into the player's chosen actions and the scenario at hand. Doing so grants a bonus to the player's dice roll - this can be a bonus of +1 or +2, but should be adjusted to what you as a GM feel works for you and your players. Just keep in mind that an inherent part of 2d6 systems like Destiny and AToW is that a +1 bonus can be more impactful than you might first consider it to be.

I also recommend that you guys consider playing Destiny similar to a more traditional RPG, with the GM having more power. Plot points can be used to give players a bonus to their rolls, to reroll a possible death, take special actions, and so on at GM approval. It might also be possible to allow a player to invoke a tag/cue a second time during the same session if they spend a plot point, though I wouldn't recommend allowing it for a third or further time.

EDIT: Sorry, just saw that you already plan to play it more traditionally. Hopefully the plot point advice will still help you out, though.
« Last Edit: 27 August 2021, 16:47:33 by rogueranger1993 »


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2. The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire.
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koraq

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Re: [Destiny] Adding game mechanical value to the Cues?
« Reply #6 on: 28 August 2021, 13:04:20 »
Only activating tags/cues once per session is a good limit!

I'd love to hear more about that reddit conversation, if there were any more gems in there.

rogueranger1993

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Re: [Destiny] Adding game mechanical value to the Cues?
« Reply #7 on: 01 September 2021, 16:16:13 »
That house rule was the only one the discussion really brought up a solution for - the rest of the discussion mentioned coming up with house rules for some other things, but it didn't actually delve into them, sadly.

Still, I've included a link to the discussion at the bottom of this post. There is also a MW:Destiny reddit that my have some useful tips and info you can us. You may also want to check out the Death From Above Wargaming's house rules, called BattleTech: Destiny. You can see an overview of their system on their YouTube Channel (link included), and if you subscribe to their patreon you can get access to a print version of their rules (which are currently in beta at the time of writing) - they're even working on a record sheet converter that uses the .mtf files from MegaMek, and I believe that can all be accessed through their $5/month subscription. You can also cancel your patreon subscriptions at any time IIRC, so you can pay for a month or two to get access, then unsubscribe for a while to sve cash before re-subscribing for the latest updates again later.

Hope you have a fun time gaming, and hopefully you'll find something you like from the sources I mentioned!  :thumbsup:

Original Reddit thread I mentioned:
https://youtu.be/rSEuQG4rk34?list=PL6cVOAOWCow7xkF84grPXDIQr2DyeCfbP.

The MW:D Subreddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/mwdestiny/

Death From Above Wargaming - BT:D Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSEuQG4rk34&list=PL6cVOAOWCow7xkF84grPXDIQr2DyeCfbP


1. Incoming fire has the right of way.
2. The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire.
3. Always remember that your weapon was built by the lowest bidder.
                                   - excepts from Murphy's Laws of Combat

Hammerhead

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Re: [Destiny] Adding game mechanical value to the Cues?
« Reply #8 on: 03 October 2021, 16:04:30 »
I’ll definitely be looking at something like this; it seemed like a strange idea to have such a big part of character generation have zero mechanical effect in-game.  I was thinking of using it as a driver for a more free-flowing Plot Point economy, in that if a cue is good, you get a plot point. More plot points spent if there’s a relatively easy way to regain them. It’s a shameless pull from another game I own but can’t remember right now, so it may not work as intended, given that I’ve only  glanced over the rules.

 

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