Stepping Up Doom Pool Dice

[Nestor]

I've only played MHR once (at a demo run by Rob Donoghue), so I don't have the experience to work this one out. Here's hoping someone can shed light into my conundrum.

Looking at how the Doom Pool is configured, I can't see how a Watcher would ever end up with a d12, never mind 2, to use for ending a scene.

If I understand it correctly, the Watcher can only step up a doom die by getting multiple opportunities (thus getting a single stepped-up die instead of multiple ones), or by using an opportunity to step up an existing die in the pool (but it has to be the lowest die). Either way, he'd have a small pool to work with.

But doing that (instead of getting more dice) seems counter-intuitive, seeing as how the Watcher uses the doom dice as Plot Points for his characters.

So the chances of getting dice to that level seems incredibly remote.

Or am I missing something? Help?

[Cam]

Those ones come up a LOT. Like, a LOT.

Cheers,
Cam

[Unknown Blitz]

Those ones come up a LOT. Like, a LOT.

Cheers,
Cam

Yep, as a player I can confirm that. It's really almost kind of cruel in MHR, not only do you have the regular agony of a 1 which removes the die from the possible pool you can use, but it also fuels the evil might of the Watcher! Diabolical.

(But seriously that mechanic rocks)

[Doc Hydrogen]

It's not that hard to "massage" the doom pool. When you get an opportunity it either adds a new dice, or steps up the lowest. Villains can use those d6s, but you keep those d8s, d10s. When the next opportunity arrives, step up that d8 or d10. With careful use of the doom pool you can get 2d12 in no time flat. You're only talking 6 opportunities and you're there.

[Grimmshade]

I've been playing for 5-ish months now and still never used the 2d12 to end a scene.
They play out so fast that I don't see the need.
Someday I'm sure I will use it.

[EldritchFire]

Don't forget that you can have a villain grandstand (OM15), adding their effect die to the doom pool! Also, whenever a villain uses a distinction at d4, you step up the lowest doom pool die.

So combine the two! Grandstand with a d4 distinction, you step up the lowest die in the doom pool, and add another one!

And, as Doc Hydrogen suggested, have your villains use those d6s, so the doom pool consists of d8s and d10s! In addition, don't forget that when you add a doom die to a villain's action, you can give a PP to the player the villain rolled against to put that die back into the doom pool! Spend the d6s, but don't put 'em back in, but keep those d8s/d10s so you can step them up to d12s!

-EF

[Grimmshade]

Don't forget that you can have a villain grandstand (OM15), adding their effect die to the doom pool! Also, whenever a villain uses a distinction at d4, you step up the lowest doom pool die.

So combine the two! Grandstand with a d4 distinction, you step up the lowest die in the doom pool, and add another one!

And, as Doc Hydrogen suggested, have your villains use those d6s, so the doom pool consists of d8s and d10s! In addition, don't forget that when you add a doom die to a villain's action, you can give a PP to the player the villain rolled against to put that die back into the doom pool! Spend the d6s, but don't put 'em back in, but keep those d8s/d10s so you can step them up to d12s!

-EF

Last night we even had the Doom Pool adding to the Doom Pool. A passenger airliner was falling from the sky. The heroes was trying to slow its fall and guide it to a safe landing. The plane was represented by the Doom Pool plus a d10 "Airliner." Whenever it became the "Airliners Turn" so to speak, it acted against the PC trying to hold it up, and if it succeeded the Effect die went right into the Doom Pool, making actions against it harder... perfectly representing the increasing horror of an airliner falling from the sky.

[Doc Hydrogen]

Last night we even had the Doom Pool adding to the Doom Pool. A passenger airliner was falling from the sky. The heroes was trying to slow its fall and guide it to a safe landing. The plane was represented by the Doom Pool plus a d10 "Airliner." Whenever it became the "Airliners Turn" so to speak, it acted against the PC trying to hold it up, and if it succeeded the Effect die went right into the Doom Pool, making actions against it harder... perfectly representing the increasing horror of an airliner falling from the sky.

That's exactly what I was referring to on another thread when I was talking about disasters. Having things like this treated as simply scene distinctions doesn't feel right. Making it a "specialty character" (for lack of a better reference) works like a charm.

For things like a fire, the effect die could go to harm the characters (i.e. "attacking" them) or into the doom pool as it's a form of grandstanding. "No, this is a really big and heavy plane. It's impressively large."

[pksullivan]

Last night we even had the Doom Pool adding to the Doom Pool. A passenger airliner was falling from the sky. The heroes was trying to slow its fall and guide it to a safe landing. The plane was represented by the Doom Pool plus a d10 "Airliner." Whenever it became the "Airliners Turn" so to speak, it acted against the PC trying to hold it up, and if it succeeded the Effect die went right into the Doom Pool, making actions against it harder... perfectly representing the increasing horror of an airliner falling from the sky.

That's pretty nifty.

[konate]

Tee-hee!