The 7th Stat- Luck! [Archive] - Wizards Community

The 7th Stat- Luck! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Masterful_Norg
02-29-04, 10:14 PM This is a variant of my own that has always been in the back of my mind even before I saw the "lucky character" houserule idea. If someone else has thought of it for a d20 game before me then I was unaware as to its existance.

Seeing as the number seven is sometimes considered to be lucky, it would make sense to have luck listed as the seventh stat. What would it be like if their was a seven stat that constituted "Character Luck" rather than "Player Luck"?

I have just collected some ideas here for the use of such a stat and would enjoy any feedback that you readers may have.

Firstly, a characters luck modifier, if positive, could refer to the amount of saves that a character will automatically succeed or be considered to otherwise have rolled a natural 20 on. This could also mean the number of rolls automatically failed with a natural roll of 1 if the modifier is negative. Secondly, this stat could count as a bonus to all saves and armor class or just one of the two. Thirdly, such skills running off this ability score could include Gamble (Lck [or (luc) (or [luck])]) (ahh the power of confusing parentheses), which is a skill used to quickly determin the outcome of a particular game of chance whereas a single lucky or unlucky character is conscerned. Fourthly, perhaps one could have a pool of luck points and the classes could be given specific luck dice or LD amounts. Perhaps you could spend these luck points as a replacement cost for lost HP as it is being lost or spend them similarly to action points except where the bonuses are in all cases possibly coming out zero (such as 1d3-1 or 1d6-1). Perhaps the luck ability score could just add to your action points. Maybe a luck score could allow you to reroll miss chance percentages and the better results.

Now that I'm done what do you think could be some other applications of the luck ability score?
Baron Phylos
02-29-04, 10:30 PM I mean no offense to your idea or anything, but isn't this already covered if you use the action point variant? It pretty much represents "hero's luck" by allowing bonuses to be added to almost all d20 rolls when the players chooses too.
Masterful_Norg
03-01-04, 02:37 AM Not really, which is to say, "No, the luck ability score variant is not basically the same as the action point variant".

As we know action points aren't affected by an ability score and while they do cover things such as reducing miss chances and emulating feats they don't cover things which are just plain "lucky" like landing in a moving cart of hay after blindly jumping through a window. To me action points represent the ability of a hero to perform better in discrete and limited situations, not just luck.

I'm trying to add a new dimension to my own game through the introduction of the luck score and I intend to use action points as well so I don't mean for their function to, in any way, overlap. Some of my ideas presupose that you aren't already using action points, adding bonuses to rolls was one of these.

I want to move forward with this and create classes for my campaign which rely on the luck ability score much as a fighter relies on strength.
Naga_Slayer
03-01-04, 12:17 PM Your luck score seems to be more than just a basic ability. It should represent something general, not the ability to re-roll stuff and all that. That's better suited to a feat or some other rule (such as was presented above).
Myztek
03-01-04, 12:37 PM If you want to use luck as a general ability score, you'd probably want to have the effects be automatic, not selected. In other words, the PCs should not choose whether to use luck or not use luck.

This creates a problem as any place that you'd apply it would make a huge difference in the character. If you applied it to the things where luck is typically though t to play a part - saving throws, attack rolls, skill checks, etc ... - it becomes an uber-ability score. If you come up with new uses for luck - ie; if the PC fails a search check a successful luck roll will give him a second check - it also disrupts the intende blanace of the game.

Managing luck is better accomplished through a system like the action point system. Trying to work it in as a core ability score would require an entire rebalancing of the game.
keyunp
03-01-04, 08:28 PM I forget which system(s) use this but have 2 d4's of different colors. 1 is positive and the other is negative. This gives a range of -3 to +3. You add your Luck modifier to this roll. You may use this a number of times per day/adventure/session equal to your character level. You may do this after the rol, but before you find out the results.

Another option would be to allow the players to substitute the Luck modifier for any other stat. If the modifier is negative, then the DM chooses when and what stat.
Gellion
03-01-04, 09:50 PM I made a luck score, and luck points for the class in my sig.:)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Masterful_Norg 02-29-04, 10:14 PM	This is a variant of my own that has always been in the back of my mind even before I saw the "lucky character" houserule idea. If someone else has thought of it for a d20 game before me then I was unaware as to its existance. Seeing as the number seven is sometimes considered to be lucky, it would make sense to have luck listed as the seventh stat. What would it be like if their was a seven stat that constituted "Character Luck" rather than "Player Luck"? I have just collected some ideas here for the use of such a stat and would enjoy any feedback that you readers may have. Firstly, a characters luck modifier, if positive, could refer to the amount of saves that a character will automatically succeed or be considered to otherwise have rolled a natural 20 on. This could also mean the number of rolls automatically failed with a natural roll of 1 if the modifier is negative. Secondly, this stat could count as a bonus to all saves and armor class or just one of the two. Thirdly, such skills running off this ability score could include Gamble (Lck [or (luc) (or [luck])]) (ahh the power of confusing parentheses), which is a skill used to quickly determin the outcome of a particular game of chance whereas a single lucky or unlucky character is conscerned. Fourthly, perhaps one could have a pool of luck points and the classes could be given specific luck dice or LD amounts. Perhaps you could spend these luck points as a replacement cost for lost HP as it is being lost or spend them similarly to action points except where the bonuses are in all cases possibly coming out zero (such as 1d3-1 or 1d6-1). Perhaps the luck ability score could just add to your action points. Maybe a luck score could allow you to reroll miss chance percentages and the better results. Now that I'm done what do you think could be some other applications of the luck ability score?
Baron Phylos 02-29-04, 10:30 PM	I mean no offense to your idea or anything, but isn't this already covered if you use the action point variant? It pretty much represents "hero's luck" by allowing bonuses to be added to almost all d20 rolls when the players chooses too.
Masterful_Norg 03-01-04, 02:37 AM	Not really, which is to say, "No, the luck ability score variant is not basically the same as the action point variant". As we know action points aren't affected by an ability score and while they do cover things such as reducing miss chances and emulating feats they don't cover things which are just plain "lucky" like landing in a moving cart of hay after blindly jumping through a window. To me action points represent the ability of a hero to perform better in discrete and limited situations, not just luck. I'm trying to add a new dimension to my own game through the introduction of the luck score and I intend to use action points as well so I don't mean for their function to, in any way, overlap. Some of my ideas presupose that you aren't already using action points, adding bonuses to rolls was one of these. I want to move forward with this and create classes for my campaign which rely on the luck ability score much as a fighter relies on strength.
Naga_Slayer 03-01-04, 12:17 PM	Your luck score seems to be more than just a basic ability. It should represent something general, not the ability to re-roll stuff and all that. That's better suited to a feat or some other rule (such as was presented above).
Myztek 03-01-04, 12:37 PM	If you want to use luck as a general ability score, you'd probably want to have the effects be automatic, not selected. In other words, the PCs should not choose whether to use luck or not use luck. This creates a problem as any place that you'd apply it would make a huge difference in the character. If you applied it to the things where luck is typically though t to play a part - saving throws, attack rolls, skill checks, etc ... - it becomes an uber-ability score. If you come up with new uses for luck - ie; if the PC fails a search check a successful luck roll will give him a second check - it also disrupts the intende blanace of the game. Managing luck is better accomplished through a system like the action point system. Trying to work it in as a core ability score would require an entire rebalancing of the game.
keyunp 03-01-04, 08:28 PM	I forget which system(s) use this but have 2 d4's of different colors. 1 is positive and the other is negative. This gives a range of -3 to +3. You add your Luck modifier to this roll. You may use this a number of times per day/adventure/session equal to your character level. You may do this after the rol, but before you find out the results. Another option would be to allow the players to substitute the Luck modifier for any other stat. If the modifier is negative, then the DM chooses when and what stat.
Gellion 03-01-04, 09:50 PM	I made a luck score, and luck points for the class in my sig.:)