Luck in battle

[Baldur Nordal]

I've seen a number of comments in various threads from people wishing Luck had more impact on battles in general. And of course Tim plans to make Luck integral to taint defense. I thought I'd make a thread for the topic - and for my latest idea ;)

I'm thinking that instead of luck having a minor impact on various things as I've seen suggested - luck should have a MAJOR impact on a single random thing each round (or each fight?). That would more closely relate to the ta'veren effect, and I think make battle more interesting. And when the luck hit and really helped, you'd feel - well lucky :D.

Some ideas of what Luck could modify each round:

Dodge = Dodge + Luck
Accuracy = Accuracy + Luck
Dam% = Dam% + Luck*2%
Def% = Def% + Luck*2%
Speed: Add Luck/3 to speed counter (opposite of stun)
Taint: cleans Luck*2 of taint
Poison: Block a portion of any poison dam


One option would be to only include defensive traits in the luck 'pool'. If you did that it could be used instead of Tim's current Taint plans since it would have a 1 in 4 (5?) chance of cleansing some of the Taint each round. Or keep the new Taint scheme and don't have a taint cleanse in the luck pool - but both would probably be overkill. Or possibly a defensive pool and an offensive pool and something selected from the correct pool depending on if you were attacking or defending that round.

Thoughts?

-bn

[Stilgar]

I like your general idea for luck to modify probabilities. But probability for you to move faster that usually is questionable. If you have 30 luck and that makes you faster by 10 - it's nonsense. And there is no chance for taint to just disappear even for Mat.

Also coefficients or better random must be applied to your propositions, or everybody will upgrade only Luck.

[Baldur Nordal]

I'm not sure it's a good idea either, but let me be more clear what I was thinking regarding speed.

First - it would be a single change to the speed counter - like Stun or First Strike for a single round of a battle, not a constant like Speed or Wound that impacts every round.

And I was thinking it would be like a rush of adrenaline. Or maybe you step on an oil slick ;)
[ok - in battle it wouldn't be oil, but that's more amusing than stepping in blood and entrails]

-bn

[Stilgar]

Luck shouldn't be for a single round, it's a unlimited resource that touches every event.

As to speed boost, you don't need luck to have adrenaline rush. And stepping in blood... You have to be Mat for that to end luckily. :-)

[Baldur Nordal]

Right - but I was suggesting that one way to implement it would be for the effect of luck to change every round of a battle. It could be just one thing for the whole battle (I'm sure that would be easier to code) - but I like the idea of the odd effects changing it every round would make. That way it wouldn't be 'stuck' on something that doesn't help your build for a whole battle, just a single round.

And it's fiction - so lucky hero's always get a second wind just in time

[Stilgar]

> It could be just one thing for the whole battle (I'm sure that would be easier to code).

Maybe easier, maybe harder. With good design it's equivalently easy. So we should consider it's only a question of balance and plausibility.

> And it's fiction - so lucky hero's always get a second wind just in time

Even Mat got his building.

> something that doesn't help your build

BTW, luck should be lucky. Mat lose in dice when it was lucky. So luck shouldn't add to damage % when your damage is 0.