Coming back from a Failed Recovery Roll

Burning Wheel Subsystem Advice and Guidance
1

My ranger was struck low while fighting a terrible winged tiger last night. I was able to get treatment from a local witch doctor and managed to pass my Tramatic Wound Recovery. However, I botched my Midi recovery rol;l and now I’ve been “Blinded in One Eye.” Mechanically this gives me a -1D Perception and drops the stat cap to 7. Now, I want to get my eye back.

My questions is to the forum is: How have other players and GM’s delt with this?

Now my character is on a quest to find the componets for a healing potions that will cure his affliction. I’ve also considering seeking a magical replacement or enlisting the help of the Faithful.

2

That sounds like an adventure in itself. I’d write a belief about it, pursue it, then see if the other players agree that you went far enough to heal at the next trait vote.

3

Replacing your eye is a belief that must be challenged and challenged hard.

4

Good job on your GM! Replacing your eye sounds like a great side quest.

5

You could always make a deal with the devil (aka a daemon). This is way more fun in Burning Wheel than it rightly should be.

6

You could be like that Pirates of the Caribbean dude, with a wooden eye, only make it from Dwarfish Mithril and have it enchanted with some Elven spell-song.

7

A miracle would fix that in a moment. Getting a wizard to enchant something (say, an eye?) with Second Sight or Celestial Sight would work. Killing a demon, ripping out his eye, and sticking it in the hole might work (hand of vecna, anyone?).

8

I’m the GM, by the way. Took a lot to give that sonofabitch a Traumatic wound. Stupid B7 power that’s precipitously close to shade shifting.

Rest assured that whatever Belief you write, I’ma challenge the crap out of it.

9

Oh ho! The plot thickens! Give him hell, Mr GM!

10

Templar21 threw out a possible complication of failure at the table, and I rather liked it: if he goes ahead and collects a bunch of reagents to make this potion to cure his eye (the likely side quest for this whole thing), the consequence isn’t that it doesn’t work - it’s that his orcish nature takes over more.

He was thinking Cold Black Blood. I’m thinking Loathsome and Twisted.

The possibilities are endless!

11

Cold Black Blood. That’s hilarious. That is a perfect example of why players cannot set their own level of adversity. “It would be terrible if this really beneficial thing happened to me!”

12

“Only please, Brer Fox, please don’t throw me into the briar patch. …”

13

I do like the idea of becoming more orc-ish, but yeah, on further reflection, Cold Black Blood is too beneficial.

Now Loathsome and Twisted, that’s a good one. It makes him into a monster.

14

That’s fine. I’ve already been hammered with social stigmata for being Fey Blood [Fanged and Clawed]. I can deal with that better then the +2Ob for being in sunlight. It’s not like we’re on a boat heading towards a desert nation.

Sure Loathsome and Twisted makes me a monster, but I’d be a monster with access to Hatred rooted open ended skills and abities. Poisonous Platitudes and Summon Fury are at the top of that list. That’s ok with me.

Alternatively, I’ll just make a Believe about a magical eye being in the stolen treasure we’re after.

15

… a magic eye that grants you the “Possessed” trait as it reveals it’s plans for world domination. COUGH-vecna!

16

Or one that causes you to make a steel test (w/penalty by number of unsettling traits) when you meet people because it shows you the darkest desires of anyone whose gaze you meet…

17

Lets go over more ideas for a bugs in enchanted eyes, just to see how many problems the GM likes…

  • It is the soul-jar of a undead sorcerer and the previous owner is looking for it. Very Vecna-ish again.
  • You have to kill the guy who currently wears it, and he can see you coming a long way off.
  • It has a hard-wired back-door made so it’s enchanter can view through your eye as with a familiar. Perfect for spying on foreign courts.
  • Because of the spirits that power the enchantment it only works at Night/Day.
  • It glows with a strange hellish light, +1Ob Stealth, +1D Intimidation & -1Ob Darkness Penalies.
  • It’s suffers from myopia or dyslexia.
  • It has to be returned to the enchanter every X Years, requiring a ObN resource test for ingredients.
  • It is vampiricly fed, and you have to eat the fresh shucked eye of a living thing to power it for a day. Happy Hunting!
  • It’s a fake. Earn a persona for challenging your belief.
18

That still sounds pretty useful.

19

Right up until the GM gets you to look the cultist assassin in they eyes while he has a belief about killing you. :slight_smile:

20
  • It is the soul-jar of a undead sorcerer and the previous owner is looking for it. Very Vecna-ish again.
  • It’s suffers from myopia or dyslexia.
  • It is vampiricly fed, and you have to eat the fresh shucked eye of a living thing to power it for a day. Happy Hunting!
  • It’s a fake. Earn a persona for challenging your belief.
    These are my favorites.