Grandstanding help?

[Keji]

Anyone who could be bothered to try and explain how I go about with this?

I wanna use grandstanding to build up trouble, but what do I do when there's no one specific I'm rolling again. Like when...summoning a giant storm, a bunch of henchmen or causing mayhem?

Edit:
Actually, is it so I simply take the highest trait and apply that as a complication/asset/grandstanding when there's no one to roll against reasonably?

[EldritchFire]

If you're not rolling against a hero, you just add your biggest die to the doom pool.

As Watcher, you never roll against the doom pool or another Watcher character. Instead, you just use your largest die as your effect die. Thwt being said, some cleaver hero might come up with ways to roll against your grandstanding efforts. Summoning a storm? I'm sure Storm could try to calm the tempest. Minions causing meyham? Spider-Man could totally web them up!

-EF

[vitruvian]

If you're not rolling against a hero, you just add your biggest die to the doom pool.

As Watcher, you never roll against the doom pool or another Watcher character. Instead, you just use your largest die as your effect die. Thwt being said, some cleaver hero might come up with ways to roll against your grandstanding efforts. Summoning a storm? I'm sure Storm could try to calm the tempest. Minions causing meyham? Spider-Man could totally web them up!

-EF

Does that mean if two Watcher characters fight (as happens often enough in the comics), each applies an effect die to the other as Stress or Complication each turn automatically? They always manage to hurt each other?

[EldritchFire]

If you're not rolling against a hero, you just add your biggest die to the doom pool.

As Watcher, you never roll against the doom pool or another Watcher character. Instead, you just use your largest die as your effect die. Thwt being said, some cleaver hero might come up with ways to roll against your grandstanding efforts. Summoning a storm? I'm sure Storm could try to calm the tempest. Minions causing meyham? Spider-Man could totally web them up!

-EF

Does that mean if two Watcher characters fight (as happens often enough in the comics), each applies an effect die to the other as Stress or Complication each turn automatically? They always manage to hurt each other?

Don't forget to step back as appropriate if one has a higher reaction effect die, but yes.

Usually, however, when villains fight each other, it tends to cause mayhem for the hero, not really cause stress to each other. That sounds more like increasing the doom pool to me!

-EF

[vitruvian]

Usually, however, when villains fight each other, it tends to cause mayhem for the hero, not really cause stress to each other. That sounds more like increasing the doom pool to me!

-EF

Not sure that's how I'd interpret any of those fights - seems like they're doing both. Certainly the infighting between the FF villains in Hickman's recent run did serious damage to some of the participants, as Diablo and Mad Thinker and company turned on Dr. Doom and he in turn laid them all out.

But it is very odd - it means that Doom cannot ever be immune to Diablo or Red Skull's attacks simply using his Godlike Durability force field on a Reaction against their pitiful dice, but must spend Doom on the Invulnerable SFX. Actually, that's another good question - can one Watcher character even spend Doom dice, on Invulnerable or anything else, when dealing with another Watcher character? Can both, eating away at the Doom Pool? What if one of them allies with the heroes, and is committed to independent attacks/actions rather than support actions - are their actions against the villains still fighting the heroes still automatically successful? Are the SHIELD agents in Breakout automatically successful shooting Nefaria with their guns (albeit for a stepped down effect of D4 or D6), since it's a case of one Watcher character against another, then? That seems the logical conclusion to this ruling.

I can see the point of it not being interesting to have the Watcher roll dice against him or herself while the players watch, but it seems like there should be exceptions, especially when a Watcher character(s) is/are aligned with the heroes (or they with the character since one's a lesser evil). Maybe the solution would be to let the players temporarily roll for such characters when appropriate? That could even work for cut action scenes where the players take on the roles of different factions of bad guys, when they have fights without the heroes present.

[Spatula]

I think that if the bad guys are fighting amongst themselves, with no heroes present, letting the players use the bad guys is a good idea. In other instances, I would just use common sense and narrate appropriately, flip a coin, or (for Watcher characters allied with the players) have the NPCs perform support actions.

[Cam]

Yeah, don't bother rolling dice for two Watcher characters fighting. Your players didn't show up to the table to see a show, they want to be a part of the action. Either bring the heroes into it somehow, or just narrate the outcome however you'd like it to happen. Who wins between Doctor Doom and Magneto? You decide. Don't roll dice for scenery like that unless the players have some stake in the outcome that they can affect.

Cheers,
Cam

[chaosnet]

Who wins between Doctor Doom and Magneto?

No one wins if those two go at it...

[MidnightBlue]

To me, the answer to this question is the same as it would be for any other RPG that I was running.

If I need the NPC's to do something that doesn't involve the players, it just happens.

I don't run NPC's against each other with dice, I just narrate the outcome.

If it doesn't include the PC's, then it's just filler and cut scenes. Better just to tell what happens and move back to the players.

Just my thoughts on the subject.

[salsa]

Who wins between Doctor Doom and Magneto?

No one wins if those two go at it...

I think you are also including the audience, bystanders, and people sleeping at their houses 8 countries away from the conflict, right?

Now seriously... With so many video games out there which just stop the action to show cinematics, you guys haven't included that in your tabletop games? I know I have.

P.S. 2d12 spent is just another name for triggered hit... cinematics roll. LOL