Post originally by Geoff Skellams at 2003-06-18 01:36:15
Converted from Phorums BB System

Brand Robins wrote:
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The second is that the effect of the action, visually at least, can often be a large part of making a stunt work. Given that the examples in the book include things like posing that you blow the baddie out the window so that he fall onto a car 40 stories below, I think there is some justification for viewing the issue as problematic. Making the action stop after it gets past you can impose restrictions on the poses you can make, as well as the tone and feel of the game.
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Hmmm, I see your dilemma.

OK, how about you add the phrase "trying to" before any description of the effect of your pose.

For example: <i>Flipping both MP-5Ks onto full- auto (1), I face off against the bad guy and let rip (+1), trying to blow him backwards through the window (+1) so that he falls 40 stories and slams into the parked car below (+1).<i>

It's perhaps a little more contrived, but it still does not mandate that the bad guy goes through the window, but it <i>does</i> state the intention of the pose, and actually makes it slightly easier for the GM to decide what happens on a successful roll.

On a failure, the GM can take some or none of the description and use it as he or she sees fit. No successes may mean that the bad guy did indeed get blown backwards through the window, but he managed to grab a hold of the balcony two floors down, or that he was wearing a flak jacket under his clothes, and bounced off the window instead of going through it.

I'll concede it's probably just as contrived as everything else, but it <i>might</i> work for you