Advice on Story Points

[brainsnaffler]

Hello again

I would like to ask your advice in another area also.

I'm pretty sure I'm not managing the Story Point system very well in my games and I would like any tips you have to help balance the system.

In my game, players seem to always have a lot of story points to hand. I'm not trying to kill them off or anything like that, and my grounding as a GM is creating the best darn Doctor Who game I can to the point where the players can imagine sitting (or hiding behind) the sofa on a Saturday night and actually watching it.

So far the group I run the game for say they all really enjoy it but I find it difficult to make rolls challenging because they always end a session with 6-8 points left. In fact the only time they burn through them is in chases because their Co-ordination and Athletics scores are pretty low.

One of the main issues maybe linked to my earlier post about splitting the team up because I guess when the Doctor's around, they gravitate towards letting him make the checks (which he usually does) and so no points are needed.

I don't even tell them the numbers they need anymore in an attempt to encourage them into thinking about using the points to ensure success. This they do but not to a level that makes the game particularly challenging for them.

Has anyone else had this problem and if so have you any advice?

[garethl]

In my game, players seem to always have a lot of story points to hand.

Me too! (although I am not the GM.)

One of the main issues maybe linked to my earlier post about splitting the team up because I guess when the Doctor's around, they gravitate towards letting him make the checks (which he usually does) and so no points are needed.

Make the tasks harder, the target numbers higher. Some tasks should require teamwork, let your players figure out how they can help and give IIRC the +2 bonus.

I don't even tell them the numbers they need anymore in an attempt to encourage them into thinking about using the points to ensure success.

I like this!

[brainsnaffler]

Make the tasks harder, the target numbers higher.

I did think of doing this but it runs the risk of ostracising the other players into never making a roll without spending story points. Then again, the end result IS to make them spend the points and make the game more challenging..... I may well have to try that at the next game and see what happens.

A less desirable path is a bit of GM fudgery and raise and lower the difficulty depending on if the Doctor is present or not. Sssh they will never know lol!

I don't even tell them the numbers they need anymore

I like this!

I think it just gives a bit more aprihension to the players and more flexibility to the GM. I certainly prefer this approach. The only real time I explain the difficulty is during chases where I give them the terrain difficulty so the players can decide if they want to perform stunts or not.

[Stormcrow]

I've run two games so far, and most players are burning through Story Points like they're candy. They haven't yet tried very hard to take the plot in new directions by acting out their Bad Traits. Pretty soon they're going to have to if they want to continue having the success at rolls they've been having.

[garethl]

Jan 19, 2012 19:29:09 GMT Stormcrow said:

I've run two games so far, and most players are burning through Story Points like they're candy.

What is it, that you do that makes them use their Story Points? Do you roll often? High Target Numbers?

[Stormcrow]

There are a lot of rolls, but it's more because they hate to fail, even at not-vital-to-survival tasks. And that's fine, if they can balance this out with intentional but interesting failures from time to time to earn back those points. They haven't gotten the hang of this yet. Intentionally not taking every advantage is something new to many roleplayers.

[stahlman]

I have run a weekly game online on Fridays since last April. My group are also used to Savage Worlds where 'bennies' or chips(Deadlands) are used in a similar fashion.
SP spending is at a much lower rate in DWAITAS than I think it should be judging by the suggestions in the game. However I am not too surprised. In West End Games Star Wars rpg e.g. Force points are supposed to be used sparingly-high fate point,bennies,story point use seems to buck the trend.

[garethl]

Jan 19, 2012 21:45:43 GMT stahlman said:

SP spending is at a much lower rate in DWAITAS than I think it should be judging by the suggestions in the game.

It gets a bit ridiculous when you remember that you only need (iirc) 11 Story Points for something like Bad Wolf and PCs start with 12!!

[Marnal]

Ways to get them to use SP....

Encourage them to cash in a bunch of their SP into character building points to buy advantages and skills with. Then they will start each adventure with less of them.

Charge them for their TARDIS. That's 20 SP taken from the beginning of every adventure [split amongst the group of course].

Make stories where they have to build lots of gadgets to solve the problems. And then set the difficulties at the high end. Then tell them that if they make a Fantastic result they gadget gets done in half the time [remember Major Gadgets take 1 day and Special take several days].

Don't forget that the bad guys can have as many SP as you want them to have [in this game system its essentially the GM's access to unlimited SP that allows him to be the GM]. So make those attack rolls really high. And make the monsters evade rolls really high too.

Charge 1 SP anytime a Time Lord uses one of their special abbilites.

Most of the stuff the heroes do in the TV Show is [realistically speaking] virtually impossible. Don't be afraid to set those difficulty levels a virtually impossible level.

[brainsnaffler]

Thanks for all your suggestions. It seems that to increase story point expenditure, I will have to increase difficulties. I will try it and see how it goes.

[cliffordjones]

Hi,

I have my own story point houserule - "You can't go back over your own timestream."

This basically means that story points are less effective when used retroactively.

When players spend points as per the “That was close, nearly didn’t make it!" rule, I only allow failed rolls to be bumped up as far "No, but..." and no higher. So, if you were about to be disintegrated you are still gonna have a nasty headache in the morning.


I find that this encourages players to spend points on rolls ahead of time as per the "We only get one shot at this" rule. It keeps the story points flowing and adds a bit of extra tension.

Also, I houserule "We only get one shot at this" so that one story point buys you one extra dice. You don't get two dice for the first one.

Edit: The houseruling was inspired by a general dislike for rules that change things after the fact.

Say that Bob's character gets cornered by a couple of daleks, he tries to bs his way around them but instead, failing his Convince roll, promptly gets treated to a double dose of the e-word. Bob's guy is dead... except that he's not because Bob spends some story points and it all goes away.

Personally, I find this kind of instant retconning of the narrative really jarring. I would much rather see Bob spend a few story points on boosting his initial roll and have him get away with a wopping lie...

"You say that you have been selected by The Supreme Dalek to serve as his personal slave? Very well, you may pass..."

[brainsnaffler]

Just updating you guys that I played my campaign recently and DID increase the difficulty levels and it worked quite well. The Doctor and one of the companions did end up quite low on Story points. The 2nd companion fared much better but that was because he chose to sit back a little (I did try and split the team to put him into a situation where he had to act, but the team worked together quite well to avoid this so I let it stand).

I reckon if I just encourage more expenditure of points on gaining clues and on the other special options, the group will be where I want them.

[zarohk]

Wait, how are people having their players gain or lose story points in play? My players start a character off with story points, and gain 1 or occasionally 2 for good acting (especially good acting out of their traits and/or character concept), and lose them if they go against their character's traits (i.e someone with a fear of heights skydiving or Ace being reasonable and non-impulsive a lot of the time). I've found that the person playing the Doctor is often more reluctant to spend story points, but most other people spend them at a reasonable rate, essentially as plot devices.

[Marnal]

From my House Rules...

Gaining Story Points
* For FORCING the PCs to fail a successful skill roll (to keep the game on track.)
* Suggesting complications to the GM (1-10 SP)
* Ask the GM for complications so that they can fight off a Convince Roll
* Risking your life for others (1-3 SP)
* Playing your in character Bad Traits so they cause complications (1-2 SP)
* Allowing yourself to be captured (1-5 SP)
* Deliberately failing a roll (1 SP per level)
* Blog entries, short stories, other activities that enhance the game. (1-4 SP)

Spending Story Points
* Get a nudge or hint from GM (1 SP)
* Get to roll 4D instead of 2D (1 SP)
* Bump a failure to a Yes But (1 SP per level bumped)
* Cut damage from a hit in half (1 SP)
* Voluntarily violating your Code of Conduct or Duty (at least ½ of you SP)
* Build a Gadget (1 – 6 SP)
* Check out equipment from base (Gadget SP cost)
* Use someone else’s skill level for your roll
* Encourage or inspire someone and they get your SP (Player choice)
* Activate various Good Traits or TARDIS Traits.
* Pick a recent event and have the GM turn it into a plot point (2 SP)
* Pick a Character, or Monster that will appear in next story (See below)
* Buying a remarkable or unlikely occurrence (1 - ?? SP)
1-2 Likely details
3-4 Plausible minor additions to story
5-6 Very convenient/significant story change or reinforcements
7-8 Major change to the plot or NPCs
9-10 Breaking the rules of reality. Massive Deus Ex Machina
11+ Campaign altering. Everything changes events.