Watch(er)ing the Doom Pool

[Supplanter]

I'd like experienced Watcher and Player perspectives on the art of doom pool management. A DP can, at any moment, have

• More or fewer dice
• Bigger or smaller dice

A Watcher can, at any given time, be playing to

• Hoard DP dice or spend them
• Increase the pool population (by adding D6s) or the pool potency (by stepping up existing dice)

Which dimensions dominate at any given point in the game seem to have major effects on play. e.g.

1. A large DP makes healing actions harder, often prohibitively so.
2. A large DP makes it less appealing for heroes to take action agains the DP (for support actions, some other kinds of asset creation, removing certain complications) versus taking action directly against an opponent
3. A DP with mostly low die-sizes limits the Watcher's options for pumping up their result totals, interrupting the action order, splitting off sub-parties etc.
4. OTOH, a high-value DP (lots of large-size dice) gives the Watcher lots of sway over the flow of an action scene - including turn-order, party splits, counter-attacks on heroes, success rates of both hero and villain action rolls (through result-pumping), even ending the scene at all (via the 2D12 exploit)
5. A large DP with lots of high-size dice lets a Watcher sustain a single villain longer against a full team of heroes, if the vllain's own stats aren't up to snuff

Those are what I can think of off the top of my head. And there's some pretty clear tension among the effects. (More of this means less of that, etc.) What other effects on play can you think of? As Watcher, what DP features do you tend to play for over the course of an act? Hoarding or spending down? More smaller or fewer bigger? To the end of what play experience?

As a player, how do you experience different DP sizes and Watcher approaches? What do differences in terms of DP constitution and flows at different points in an act tip you toward doing or away from doing?

Ground rules: for the purpose of this specific discussion, I'm not interested in anyone's ideas on how they think the Doom Pool must surely work based on reading the rules alone. I'm even less interested in praise or condemnation of the DP mechanic at a general level. I'm interested in DP-driven features you've observed at your table. (Or on your forum, whatever.) What have you learned from being the custodian of your own doom pools, or at the sharp end of other people's?

Thanks,


Jim

[Majestic]

I can really only mostly speak as a Watcher, but I experienced some observations after playing for 5-6 hours last night (we played through Part 1 of "Breakout").

Even though the heroes were doing quite well through the whole adventure (each time they took damage they mitigated it with their powers), I noticed that - as the DP got larger - they became more frustrated, realizing how much more difficult it was to succeed against it (as well as how bad it could end up being down the road). It had built to something like 4d12 + 1d6 I think at one point, and when it got that big they were commonly failing rolls against it, even thought they were doing fine in combat against their adversaries (corroborating your point #2 above).

As the Watcher I ended up spending some of it down (to around 2d12), to keep it more reasonable and less intimidating and frustrating for them. I noticed that the players were talking amongst themselves as well, encouraging, for instance, the Thing not to use his Haymaker too much, as each time he did so it added to the DP (the players were very much aware all night of how big the DP was).

Part of the players' frustration I think, though, was a result of the fact that - as the Watcher - I could add multiple dice to my characters' rolls, where they were limited to just adding one. This didn't always matter, as one can still crap out their roll, even when rolling a fistful of dice, and I tried not to add a bunch of dice except when it was really needed.

I also noticed that - when I would use a lower die like a d6 to add to my roll (of a Watcher character), leaving only big dice in the Pool - it handicapped me when I wanted to take an action later that only cost a smaller die (like a d6). So I quickly realized that I wanted to add in the bigger dice to my rolls, leaving a smaller die or two available for different effects (otherwise when I needed to use a d6 I'd have to "waste" a d10 or a d12 to do so).

[Warmaster_Loberg]

Part of the players' frustration I think, though, was a result of the fact that - as the Watcher - I could add multiple dice to my characters' rolls, where they were limited to just adding one. This didn't always matter, as one can still crap out their roll, even when rolling a fistful of dice, and I tried not to add a bunch of dice except when it was really needed.

Actually, the players can spend more than one plot point to add extra dice to their total.

[Majestic]

I suppose you're right, though to be honest they very rarely had more than a single die that they could possibly add.

[Supplanter]

Over on RPG.Net, Princess Stacey says she notices a change in the vibe at her table when the Doom Pool gets above four dice.


Jim

[MidnightBlue]

Over on RPG.Net, Princess Stacey says she notices a change in the vibe at her table when the Doom Pool gets above four dice.


Jim

Meaning that the players actually act as if the tension is building?

As if "doom" is upon them?

If so, it's neat to see a game mechanic that actually builds the atmosphere that it is meant to represent.

[Supplanter]

Over on RPG.Net, Princess Stacey says she notices a change in the vibe at her table when the Doom Pool gets above four dice.


Jim

Meaning that the players actually act as if the tension is building?

As if "doom" is upon them?

If so, it's neat to see a game mechanic that actually builds the atmosphere that it is meant to represent.

I inferred that they find it deflating instead, but hopefully she'll expand on her thoughts soon.


Jim

[MidnightBlue]

I inferred that they find it deflating instead, but hopefully she'll expand on her thoughts soon.


Jim

Oh...unfortunate.