Okay, I’m putting on my player hat for a moment. We’re going to be worldbuilding this weekend, and my contribution will be that the world’s frozen and plagued by “freeze-outs”, sudden drops in temperature that immobilize all transport, kill folks who are outside, generally cause havoc for the duration. Think sandstorms in the Iraq invasion a few years back, and multiply by ten.
Okay, fine. Assuming I get my way, who will decide when a freeze-out is coming in? Would I “build” it? Would it be color? If so, and my opponents find it inconvenient, can they just use a color scene to describe how the freeze-out suddenly lifts? Should we institute a rule during world building? Something like, “we’ll make a roll at the beginning of every maneuver to see if a freezeout will hit during that maneuver (or lift if it’s already in place)?”
Please give me your guidance. It’s so cold, I can’t think.
I cannot speak from authority on this (I am, and never had been a very good rules lawyer) but I would think that this would fall in the realm of the GM, since the timing of the cold spells would a story pacing sort of thing. But Players should still be allowed to bring it up if it is crucial to their framing of a scene (with GM approval of course :twisted: ).
Does that sound correct or am I talking outt’a my rear end here?
Well Chris, you’ve got two options. As the GM, you can impose tests and obstacles. So you can say, “OK, it’s freezing out, if you want to make that raid, it’s going to take a Repair test to get those GIFVs running.” That’s your super power as GM. Awesome, eh?
But you could also use the Infection mechanics to back you up. Remember, if you win a roll for the Infection, you get what we call a “sequel.” That means you, Mr Chris Moeller, get to describe some big picture events that are affecting the world (and subsequently driving things in a particular direction). Say you win a Take Action. You could describe a freeze out that wipes out a whole commnunity. “This news passes to the other biodomes and a mood of gloom and despondency creeps in. People feel they’re doomed. They don’t care about security any more!” Voila, freeze outs in the big picture.
You can also use the partial lifesupporting world for this in the World Burner. I would. And if your players agree to this being a part of the world, I would use the rules for vacuum (as described in the Kerrn traits or the EVA tech trait) for the freeze outs.
What about a Building Scene based around a Weather-wise/Planet-wise/Tech-item that grants you a bonus to the following firefight? Something like the Interference option for Signals?
As the GM, you can impose tests and obstacles. So you can say, “OK, it’s freezing out, if you want to make that raid, it’s going to take a Repair test to get those GIFVs running.” That’s your super power as GM. Awesome, eh
I think that is awesome. Slipping into my role as the evil GM will take some getting used to, but I’m girding myself. I also like the idea of holding the idea of the freeze-out in my hand for a sequel. Foreshadow the concept early on, then let the player’s memory of it fade until I make my dramatic call-back. That’s very nice.
Yes, I intend to make my pitch for the frozen world when we get to the atmospheric conditions step. Wish me luck!
It can also make good color for why certain rolls fail.
Can’t get a supply? Distant freeze out screwed transport, sorry.
Where’s my sig-geek? Helping people in a freeze out, might be a corpsicle himself.
What broke my advance? Well, sure the armor protects us from the cold, but it strains the systems so that fighting against that wind—not happening, time to hunker down and dig in.
Once established as color in these ways building scenes or appropriate rolls can drag in mechanical effects.
Hm. Well, I’ve got some of the stuff that the frozen out area usually imports, time to capitalize on the temporary shortage!
Send support and make sure everyone sees it. Everybody likes rescue workers.
Build a dummy camp and withdraw from it, confusing the hell out of the snow blinded bastards up-wind.