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Wheel of Fate?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
meramoth
Sep 22, 2008 9:53:18 Just want to get a second opinion on this ...
There is a DM I know starting a game up with a device known as the "Wheel of Fate", in his world any NPC priest can call upon the wheel of fate once per day (and the objective is to take down this cult ... so there are ALOT of priests). When evoked, he rolls two sets, 100 and 10. 1-100 determines what happens, even number is good odd number is bad. 1-10 means whether or not it effects the caster or the target player. Whatever happens cannot be undone, altered, or effected by any means in the game whatsoever. Such effects include "Poof you are dead", "You lose x amount of levels", "You have full health", "You are invulnerable for 5 mins", etc. Like I said there are no saves or anything, it simply happens .... my question is, even though the rolls are "random" is this really a fair system or is it OP? In a trail game that lasted about 6 hours, I had 2 characters die outright.

Edit: He also will not show us the sheet on which numbers mean precisely what things
#2
inlicere
Sep 22, 2008 10:24:55
Just want to get a second opinion on this ...
There is a DM I know starting a game up with a device known as the "Wheel of Fate", in his world any NPC priest can call upon the wheel of fate once per day (and the objective is to take down this cult ... so there are ALOT of priests). When evoked, he rolls two sets, 100 and 10. 1-100 determines what happens, even number is good odd number is bad. 1-10 means whether or not it effects the caster or the target player. Whatever happens cannot be undone, altered, or effected by any means in the game whatsoever. Such effects include "Poof you are dead", "You lose x amount of levels", "You have full health", "You are invulnerable for 5 mins", etc. Like I said there are no saves or anything, it simply happens .... my question is, even though the rolls are "random" is this really a fair system or is it OP? In a trail game that lasted about 6 hours, I had 2 characters die outright.

Bleh.

It's 'fair' in the sense that it's completely arbitrary and therefore unbiased.

It's also completely lame, and practically guaranteed to only be fun to the person who thought it up.

EDIT: In the interest of trying to make my criticism more constructive, I'll add this...

1) How many people would seriously use a weapon that had as big a chance of hurting themselves as it did of hurting their target? The user would either have to be insane or already in a situation where they expected to die.

2) The players need to be integral, even central, to the story being told. This plot device swamps the player's ability to drive the story through their own actions.
#3
drmorganes
Sep 22, 2008 12:35:47 This sort of story only becomes viable if the Wheel of Fate is an artifact - a large and difficult (if not impossible) to move artifact - with a severely limited number of uses per YEAR. That is to say, it works only if the artifact is moved into the role of the Devious Weapon of Mass Destruction central to most James Bond movies - something the heroes must race to stop, but will ultimately never actually be used unless they fail.

A lesser version in the form of a Wondrous Item may be carried by high-ranking priests of this cult, but those effects should be temporary - effectively allowing the priest to cast things like Bane, Doom, and/or Bestow Curse. Perhaps these minor wheels impart the effects in an area of effect that can only be countered by wearing the special amulets possessed by all the priests.

As it stands, however, this so-called "adventure" is little more than a crap shoot. Eventually the PCs will get the short end of the stick and die or otherwise get thoroughly messed over. Not fun, if you ask me.
#4
Cohen95
Sep 22, 2008 14:18:53 As has been said, in being completely random, the item is fair. However, the DM is probably going to cheat the rolls in his favor. Further, it clearly benefits the DM more than the PCs, because an NPC isn't likely to have as much effort invested in it as a PC, since the DM has multiple NPCs at a time, but each player only has one PC.

My advice, since two of your PCs have already died, is to just make a bunch of stock PCs and when one dies just rifle through your sheets and grab the next one.

Personally, I'd bow out. That sort of campaign wouldn't be any fun for me, I like to develop my character and have him be part of a story, and make an impact on the world around him.

Your call, though
#5
meramoth
Sep 22, 2008 16:07:43 Thanks that those answers where perfect

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 meramoth Sep 22, 2008 9:53:18	Just want to get a second opinion on this ... There is a DM I know starting a game up with a device known as the "Wheel of Fate", in his world any NPC priest can call upon the wheel of fate once per day (and the objective is to take down this cult ... so there are ALOT of priests). When evoked, he rolls two sets, 100 and 10. 1-100 determines what happens, even number is good odd number is bad. 1-10 means whether or not it effects the caster or the target player. Whatever happens cannot be undone, altered, or effected by any means in the game whatsoever. Such effects include "Poof you are dead", "You lose x amount of levels", "You have full health", "You are invulnerable for 5 mins", etc. Like I said there are no saves or anything, it simply happens .... my question is, even though the rolls are "random" is this really a fair system or is it OP? In a trail game that lasted about 6 hours, I had 2 characters die outright. Edit: He also will not show us the sheet on which numbers mean precisely what things
#2 inlicere Sep 22, 2008 10:24:55	Just want to get a second opinion on this ... There is a DM I know starting a game up with a device known as the "Wheel of Fate", in his world any NPC priest can call upon the wheel of fate once per day (and the objective is to take down this cult ... so there are ALOT of priests). When evoked, he rolls two sets, 100 and 10. 1-100 determines what happens, even number is good odd number is bad. 1-10 means whether or not it effects the caster or the target player. Whatever happens cannot be undone, altered, or effected by any means in the game whatsoever. Such effects include "Poof you are dead", "You lose x amount of levels", "You have full health", "You are invulnerable for 5 mins", etc. Like I said there are no saves or anything, it simply happens .... my question is, even though the rolls are "random" is this really a fair system or is it OP? In a trail game that lasted about 6 hours, I had 2 characters die outright. Bleh. It's 'fair' in the sense that it's completely arbitrary and therefore unbiased. It's also completely lame, and practically guaranteed to only be fun to the person who thought it up. EDIT: In the interest of trying to make my criticism more constructive, I'll add this... 1) How many people would seriously use a weapon that had as big a chance of hurting themselves as it did of hurting their target? The user would either have to be insane or already in a situation where they expected to die. 2) The players need to be integral, even central, to the story being told. This plot device swamps the player's ability to drive the story through their own actions.
#3 drmorganes Sep 22, 2008 12:35:47	This sort of story only becomes viable if the Wheel of Fate is an artifact - a large and difficult (if not impossible) to move artifact - with a severely limited number of uses per YEAR. That is to say, it works only if the artifact is moved into the role of the Devious Weapon of Mass Destruction central to most James Bond movies - something the heroes must race to stop, but will ultimately never actually be used unless they fail. A lesser version in the form of a Wondrous Item may be carried by high-ranking priests of this cult, but those effects should be temporary - effectively allowing the priest to cast things like Bane, Doom, and/or Bestow Curse. Perhaps these minor wheels impart the effects in an area of effect that can only be countered by wearing the special amulets possessed by all the priests. As it stands, however, this so-called "adventure" is little more than a crap shoot. Eventually the PCs will get the short end of the stick and die or otherwise get thoroughly messed over. Not fun, if you ask me.
#4 Cohen95 Sep 22, 2008 14:18:53	As has been said, in being completely random, the item is fair. However, the DM is probably going to cheat the rolls in his favor. Further, it clearly benefits the DM more than the PCs, because an NPC isn't likely to have as much effort invested in it as a PC, since the DM has multiple NPCs at a time, but each player only has one PC. My advice, since two of your PCs have already died, is to just make a bunch of stock PCs and when one dies just rifle through your sheets and grab the next one. Personally, I'd bow out. That sort of campaign wouldn't be any fun for me, I like to develop my character and have him be part of a story, and make an impact on the world around him. Your call, though
#5 meramoth Sep 22, 2008 16:07:43	Thanks that those answers where perfect