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evileeyore
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Panic Rules Intentions?

Sun 14 Nov 2021, 00:06

This has recently come up at the table (I'm new to Free League games in general) and there is a mild question about how the rules are intended to work:

Panic Table Results timing: This is split along two lines of thought, one party believes that "next action" means just that, the PC's next action, not the current action. This would mean that only Panic Table Results 9*, 13, 14, and 15 would interfere with your current action (the one you are possibly triggering a Panic test from rolling).

* It's possible the GM might rule you fumble the item you're using for the action, but that could be a construed as an "EXPLETIVE" move, especially if the PC has a pile of Successes... (The "and the Successes I rolled don't matter?" question is rather what is prompting this question, as that seems counter-intuitive.)

[EDIT]
Okay, found the "If you roll a 10 or higher on your Panic Roll" rule, so apparently discarding a successful action is the intention. Now it's just a "expletive" move on "Drop Item". Hmmm.
[/EDIT]

Panic Table Result replacement: Several results 'seem' to last until the Panic ends with no clear end† for the result. However one party believes that the wording of "replaces a previous one" from: "If you are suffering from a panic effect (7+ on the Panic Roll) and are forced to make another Panic Roll, the new panic effect replaces the previous one" means just that, the new effect completely replaces the previous effect, thus a Character suffering from Trembling who later makes another Panic Test would lose the -2 penalty as Tremble (result 8) is replaced with Drop Item (result 9) at the minimum, other results if rolled worse.

† Primarily 8, 13, and 15, they seem to be implied as lasting until either 1 Turn passes, another PC makes a Command to relieve the Panic, or the PC is Broken. "No clear end" actually means, defintely lasts longer than 1 Round and potentially longer than combat. Result 11 can last as long as it takes to find a "safe" place... which could not be a possible thing to find.‡

‡ Yes, we get "and this is what GMs are for", however understanding the intent of the designers helps to inform rulings at the table. And yes, I get that the designers might not actually post on these forums, in which case I'm requesting other GM's input.
 
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AlienMobius
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Re: Panic Rules Intentions?

Sun 14 Nov 2021, 03:08

Hi,

We had the same discussion in my group at first. I ended up asking a few questions and got several answers from Dave Semark (Effekt Podcast, Alien RPG Writing Team). He was very kind and patient and pretty much answered all the questions I had. I ended with a better understanding of each Panic State and came up with the following graph.

Having said that, in itself, everything written in the Panic Table is exactly like it should be interpreted and unless said otherwise, panic will end immediately or within one round or at the end of the turn (panic stop) if not mentioned otherwise. Furthermore, canceled action are 10+ any other "Lose next slow/fast" are exactly meant for an additional action, not the current one.

I came up with a simplified table. Feel free to use it...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K_8_OG ... 4fqlX/view
 
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evileeyore
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Re: Panic Rules Intentions?

Sun 14 Nov 2021, 20:39

Having said that, in itself, everything written in the Panic Table is exactly like it should be interpreted and unless said otherwise, panic will end immediately or within one round or at the end of the turn (panic stop) if not mentioned otherwise.
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That doesn't really clear up anything. Let's try an example:

Character A has 6 Stress (pretty easy to hit) and has rolled '1' on a Stress die in a test. They make a Panic Test and get 8, Trembles. Trembles says "All skill rolls using AGILITY suffer a -2 modification until your panic stops."

One faction in my group believes this means until this Panic Result ends, i.e. the Character is Commanded to stop Panicking, or one Turn passes, they suffer -2, as there are no other end states listed in Trembles so "it defaults to the generic end state", regardless of any further Panic Results. Another faction believes that getting another Panic Result will end it due to the wording "replaces a previous one", thus if the Character later get's another Panic Table Result, it replaces Trembles with the new result, so say if they roll Drop Item, the -2 AGI immediately ends.

I'm now beginning to believe that the Trembles would last until the Panic "State" ends, so if they got Trembles and then later roll say Seek Cover, they will take the -2 on AGI rolls they make until one round passes, ending their Panic state.
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Furthermore, canceled action are 10+ any other "Lose next slow/fast" are exactly meant for an additional action, not the current one.
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The only result this could effect is 9, Drop item, so I conclude you mean to say that Drop Item should not cancel the action that might cause a Panic Test, but can cause you to fumble the item you are using in the roll thus complicating further actions, as no Panic Result below 10 actually states it effects an action.
 
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Fenhorn
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Re: Panic Rules Intentions?

Sun 14 Nov 2021, 21:22

Some points (I have only skimmed through this thread)

* Panic Action: If you roll 10 or higher, you will be forced to perform a specific action. If this panic was the result of a skill roll, that action is replaced by the panic action.

So this means on 10+: Your cancelled action is replaced that you freeze and you loose your next slow action. Your next slow action is most often the action in this round, but since you can be forced to make a panic roll, not on your turn and in that case you will loose your slow action when it is your next turn.


* More Panic: If you are suffering from a panic effect (7+) and you are forced to make another panic roll, the new panic effect replaces the previous one. If the new roll is lower than the previous effect, it is adjusted to one step more severe than the previous effect.

If you tremble (8) and you during that panic gets another panic and get a 1-7 result, then you no longer tremble but instead drops an item (9). If this other panic roll is 8 you still tremble and if the other roll is 9+ you stop tremble but do whatever this other panic roll says.
“Thanks for noticin' me.” - Eeyore
 
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AlienMobius
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Re: Panic Rules Intentions?

Sun 14 Nov 2021, 23:15

Another faction believes that getting another Panic Result will end it due to the wording "replaces a previous one", thus if the Character later get's another Panic Table Result, it replaces Trembles with the new result, so say if they roll Drop Item, the -2 AGI immediately ends.

And this "faction" is right according to my interpretation of the rules AS WRITTEN, and the explanation given to me by Dave Semark. The goals of the panic rules are NOT meant to be cumulative. They are meant to display an increasing state of panic. Having some state immediately ends and others remaining until Panic Ends whether by a new panic state, the end of a turn, or a command action spent to end the panic.

One of the biggest issue with the panic table is the case of panic cascade and how to resolve multiple panic upgrades for several PCs due to one failed skill rolls.

Having said that, in the end, as game MU/TH/ER, feel free to decides what's best for your group / story.

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