05-02-2021, 06:13 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-02-2021, 06:29 AM by CrystikRage.)
Alright, this is my first time trying my hand at contributing something like this, but I figure with the experience I've got as an Eternia DM, it'd be handy to share it to new DMs, or players curious about what precisely the little 'risk' section of an event entails.
In general, there are four levels of risk. Low CoI, High CoI, Low CoD, and High CoD. It's helpful to think of pretty much any event in those four terms, with the occasional exception that I'll get to. It doesn't need to follow these levels *strictly*, but typically a High CoI event is fine with getting even permanently injured, but doesn't want to lose their character for it.
So what does that actually mean? What's the qualifier that swaps between Low and High? To be truthful, there's no one answer. I can tell you what the difference for me is, but every DM works differently, which is part of the fun of it. For me, the primary difference between a Low CoI and a High CoI is the severity of the injuries, rather than the actual rate they're applied. You're less likely to be permed, and when you are it won't be the standard -10 (with exceptions), on one of my Low CoI events. What's the difference between High CoI and Low CoD? Well, the actual possibility of death, to be frank. I take the gloves off, and use my standard injury table, and standard death rules. The switch from Low to High CoD? Since I kill based on number of injuries suffered, the chance of being grievously wounded simply goes up in a High CoD.
That's just how I do it, but I'm not every DM. In general, as a rule of thumb, expect the severity of injuries to go up in accordance with the risk, and the rewards to follow. You likely won't suffer a -20 vit perm in a High CoI, but I'd consider it not too unlikely in a CoD.
So, with what the actual risk entails, what kind of rewards should you expect from each of these tiers? Again, this will vary from DM to DM, but in general the dev, both from logs and actual items, will be graded differently by journal admins. There's not really a science here, but a good rule of thumb? The higher the risk to obtain something, the more powerful it is when used to develop something. Hell, some dev, like that for Death Magic, Rift or Wayfinding, is flat out linked to CoD events, when it's not being taught by players already possessing it.
As a DM, you want to make your rewards match what you're doing to your players, carefully consider it. Think about how much work has to go in for it, put yourself in the players shoes. If you have some extremely obscure puzzle that has exactly one combination and if failed will outright kill a player? As extreme as that example is, the reward *better* match it. If they have a chance to be permed for it, it better reward an item or some boon to make it worth their time and the risk. And that's doubly so for killing a player.
So, that's what the Risk of an event really means, and a generalization of what you can expect to get from it, so finally there's actually grading your event. As in, when you're creating your event plan, or putting up the thread in the first place, what Risk do you write? In general, the risk is variable, with exceptions. If the plan can vary wildly in either direction, and be a fun, light-hearted romp or a terrifying roller coaster of pain? Write whatever! But if you're doing something lore heavy and intensive, it's likely at least Low CoD. Certain things will always be risky, no matter what your desire out of is. An example of this is visiting the spirit realm, ANY part of it. It's extraordinarily dangerous, something I'd classify under 'very likely to kill all involved without a lot of prepartion'. Traveling there? Risky. Coming back? Risky. Simply living there, in a realm designed for spirits, for *people that are already dead*? Very risky. That's not to say you can't mitigate some of these risks, but it takes care and preparation.
That's just an example, but in general it remains true for most lore intensive things. Primordial events, chains with some kind of notable effect on the world, events for old relics of the past? They all fall under that umbrella.
Something to consider - if this event can impact the world and change it, it needs to carry the same risk as someone doing that with a potentially opposing PC. If you're going on an event to counter something a PC is doing? Make it a PvP event! Or, if it's to deal with the aftermath, it should carry the same risk that PC went through to accomplish the goal.
This has been Crystiks probably shitty attempt to make event risk more clear, as I subscribe to the utter transparency school of DMing. Hope it's helped at least some of you.
Risk Level
In general, there are four levels of risk. Low CoI, High CoI, Low CoD, and High CoD. It's helpful to think of pretty much any event in those four terms, with the occasional exception that I'll get to. It doesn't need to follow these levels *strictly*, but typically a High CoI event is fine with getting even permanently injured, but doesn't want to lose their character for it.
So what does that actually mean? What's the qualifier that swaps between Low and High? To be truthful, there's no one answer. I can tell you what the difference for me is, but every DM works differently, which is part of the fun of it. For me, the primary difference between a Low CoI and a High CoI is the severity of the injuries, rather than the actual rate they're applied. You're less likely to be permed, and when you are it won't be the standard -10 (with exceptions), on one of my Low CoI events. What's the difference between High CoI and Low CoD? Well, the actual possibility of death, to be frank. I take the gloves off, and use my standard injury table, and standard death rules. The switch from Low to High CoD? Since I kill based on number of injuries suffered, the chance of being grievously wounded simply goes up in a High CoD.
That's just how I do it, but I'm not every DM. In general, as a rule of thumb, expect the severity of injuries to go up in accordance with the risk, and the rewards to follow. You likely won't suffer a -20 vit perm in a High CoI, but I'd consider it not too unlikely in a CoD.
Risk for Reward
So, with what the actual risk entails, what kind of rewards should you expect from each of these tiers? Again, this will vary from DM to DM, but in general the dev, both from logs and actual items, will be graded differently by journal admins. There's not really a science here, but a good rule of thumb? The higher the risk to obtain something, the more powerful it is when used to develop something. Hell, some dev, like that for Death Magic, Rift or Wayfinding, is flat out linked to CoD events, when it's not being taught by players already possessing it.
As a DM, you want to make your rewards match what you're doing to your players, carefully consider it. Think about how much work has to go in for it, put yourself in the players shoes. If you have some extremely obscure puzzle that has exactly one combination and if failed will outright kill a player? As extreme as that example is, the reward *better* match it. If they have a chance to be permed for it, it better reward an item or some boon to make it worth their time and the risk. And that's doubly so for killing a player.
How to Determine Risk
So, that's what the Risk of an event really means, and a generalization of what you can expect to get from it, so finally there's actually grading your event. As in, when you're creating your event plan, or putting up the thread in the first place, what Risk do you write? In general, the risk is variable, with exceptions. If the plan can vary wildly in either direction, and be a fun, light-hearted romp or a terrifying roller coaster of pain? Write whatever! But if you're doing something lore heavy and intensive, it's likely at least Low CoD. Certain things will always be risky, no matter what your desire out of is. An example of this is visiting the spirit realm, ANY part of it. It's extraordinarily dangerous, something I'd classify under 'very likely to kill all involved without a lot of prepartion'. Traveling there? Risky. Coming back? Risky. Simply living there, in a realm designed for spirits, for *people that are already dead*? Very risky. That's not to say you can't mitigate some of these risks, but it takes care and preparation.
That's just an example, but in general it remains true for most lore intensive things. Primordial events, chains with some kind of notable effect on the world, events for old relics of the past? They all fall under that umbrella.
Something to consider - if this event can impact the world and change it, it needs to carry the same risk as someone doing that with a potentially opposing PC. If you're going on an event to counter something a PC is doing? Make it a PvP event! Or, if it's to deal with the aftermath, it should carry the same risk that PC went through to accomplish the goal.
This has been Crystiks probably shitty attempt to make event risk more clear, as I subscribe to the utter transparency school of DMing. Hope it's helped at least some of you.