I would love to have a little advice. There’s a bit of a tangle in our new BE game that we’re having trouble coming up with a satisfying solution to. I didn’t include it in our “Burning in the Turmoil of Isengraef” AP yet because it’s still somewhat in dispute.
First, to be clear, this is not a case of anyone trying to get a cheaty advantage. This is more about us being new to the game and not being used to some of its particulars. Also, we’re not mad. We’re both perfectly happy to accept whatever outcome is decided upon, but the consequences are major, so we’d like some more eyes on this puzzle. Here it is:
My GM FoN, Archcotare Eostre got hulled in one of my color scenes. I wasn’t sure if there should be rolling or not, but it seemed like “Say Yes” because everyone wanted her to be Vaylen in the World Burning, but I couldn’t get what I wanted by burning her as a Vaylen to start, so I figured I’d hull her early on. From reading other threads, it’s pretty clear that it would have been better for everyone if it was a building scene. It’s still legit, but because it’s color, anyone can counter it with color, which is bad for me. I get that now, we didn’t at the time. This isn’t where the dispute started, it’s just complicating it.
Near the end of the session, I use my conflict scene for a DoW. I’m riffing off of Kevin’s scene where his Anvil Lord/Psychologist FoN Wulfric wants to meet with the Archcotare to prevent his son from entering the priesthood. I think it’s pretty cool because it also works with one of Eostre’s beliefs, so I set it up. (Super dumb, I know, I understand Psychology a little better now! WTF was I thinking?!) The characters fall into discussion about the boy and it soon becomes a DoW.
But first, Kevin remembers an Instinct that relates to meeting new people and scanning them for Vaylen (There was a flurry of last minute stuff before the game, so I didn’t even know about this one.) I couldn’t dispute it, because that kind of thing is largely what instincts are for. He passed the Ob. 3 test with ease, discovered the Naiven within and wanted to push it to a Psychic Duel. I wouldn’t have it because it’s my conflict scene (was I right? He already used his conflict so he can’t push one on me, yes?). We have the DoW (Eostre wins by a hair) and end the scene.
I was warming up to the very interesting possibilities of him trying to out her as a Vaylen. But later on, when looking over his character sheet, I saw the instinct actually reads, “Always listen for surface thoughts with new people” which, to me, is not the same thing that it was used for. (And again, to be clear, this was not Kevin trying to abuse the Instinct, it was just a misunderstanding of application.)
But does any of this even matter? Test or no, he could have countered my color with color, but can he do that if it’s not his color scene?
Ideas on what to do? I guess we’re struggling with what’s okay to do in someone else’s scene and also how to move forward when you’ve both erred.
Thanks!