Thoughts on LUCK as an attribute?

[Morrus]

Have you played RPGs where one of the main attributes was a luck score? How do you feel about systems where a character's luck differs to the next guy's as much as, say, his strength?

There are dozens of ways luck plays out as a mechanic in games - as a resource pool, as a score you can substitute for another x times per days, as a bonus, etc. certainly, it could be argued that luck in RPGs is already taken into account by the randomness of dice rolls - though that's not an intrinsic quality possessed by certain characters.

And I guess it can be argued that most - if not all - dramatic protagonists are lucky; James Bond, Captain Kirk, Jack Sparrow, Indiana Jones - heroes tend to be lucky in most popular fiction.

 

[GMMichael]

Have you played RPGs where one of the main attributes was a luck score? How do you feel about systems where a character's luck differs to the next guy's as much as, say, his strength?

In Modos RPG, one of the four major character features is luck, called the Hero Point. The Hero Point grants a 1d6 bonus to any one skill check, and you get them daily. PCs are encouraged to tailor their use of Hero Points to fit their characters, so it becomes a sort of roleplaying tool.

There are dozens of ways luck plays out as a mechanic in games - as a resource pool, as a score you can substitute for another x times per days, as a bonus, etc. certainly, it could be argued that luck in RPGs is already taken into account by the randomness of dice rolls - though that's not an intrinsic quality possessed by certain characters.

Hero Points are more available for higher-level characters; they get one hero point per level per day. They're only as plentiful as you roleplay them; if you use a hero point, you can get it back during the same day by effectively roleplaying your character when doing so would oppose his goals.

And I guess it can be argued that most - if not all - dramatic protagonists are lucky; James Bond, Captain Kirk, Jack Sparrow, Indiana Jones - heroes tend to be lucky in most popular fiction.

James Bond gets lucky every time a Russian shoots at him - or decides how to dispose of him. Indiana Jones mostly gets lucky on mining carts. Modos RPG supports both of these types of luck with hero points: when an important roll needs to be made, add your hero point. The system does specify though: you can use your hero points for anything, but then they just look like dumb luck. However, if you use them only in specific situations, then they look more like class features. James Bond probably uses his hero points on dodging bullets - Indiana Jones uses his hero points on acrobatics.

Indiana Jones could get his hero points back by invoking his fear of snakes at critical junctures. James Bond could get his hero points back by chasing women or drinking Martinis at the expense of catching a super-villain.

 

[Hyper-Man]

I have seen it used in many forms.

In the HERO System it is a straightforward purchasable ability.

• "Luck" can be purchased at 1d6 per 5 points.
• There are multiple optional rules about how and what it can be used for during an adventure.
• "Unluck" can also be taken as a Disadvantage/Complication for the same point value and negative version of the mechanic used for "Luck".
• Some characters have neither, one, the other or both (which can end up being crazy!).

In the Amber Diceless RPG, another point buy system, it is referred to as "Good Stuff" and "Bad Stuff".

• Unlike HERO it applies to virtually all characters at some time or another.
• At character creation Bad Stuff can be taken to get more points for other abilities.
• When a character earns experience the unspent XP banks as "Good Stuff" until allocated to a permanent ability.
• The GM is in complete control of what either does during an adventure.

 

[delericho]

Have you played RPGs where one of the main attributes was a luck score? How do you feel about systems where a character's luck differs to the next guy's as much as, say, his strength?

I'm not a fan, because...

certainly, it could be argued that luck in RPGs is already taken into account by the randomness of dice rolls

 

[Dice4Hire]

I have not played an RPG that uses luck as an attribute, but several have feats or advantages that do the same thing, more or less. I am a fan of that kind of system, as it is another aspect to a character and aid \s character building.

Being good is better, but on occasional occasions, lucky is just as good.

 

[Nagol]

Star Trek had a Luck attribute and it worked moderately well. Needless to say, the example Kirk had near-human maximum luck.

 

[Jhaelen]

It can be useful, depending on how it's implemented. Having it alongside stats like Strength and Intelligence is a bit odd, though.
I like how it's used in the Earthdawn RPG: every character has a karma pool. Basically it's a bunch of bonus dice that can be used on rolls that are important for the chosen discipline. The type of die used depends on a character's race as does the cost to replenish the karma pool. So it's actually used as a balancing tool, ensuring that a troll (high stats, low karma) and a windling (low stats, high karma) can compete with each other.

 

[biotech66]

Look at DCC. Luck is something you burn to add to a d20 roll. Rogues get free luck to spend. Halflings get to add a random roll instead of a 1-to-1 point purchase.

 

[Ruzak]

... James Bond, Captain Kirk, Jack Sparrow, Indiana Jones - heroes tend to be lucky in most popular fiction.

I find luck resources less interesting when they can be used in most all situations. If they can be used to reroll an attack, for example, the character is not so much "lucky" as just "good at stuff." When we play Savage Worlds the "bennies" seem to be used almost exclusively as a defensive measure, since they are so good in that context. This makes the Lucky advantage feel more like Toughness. The bennies represent heroics well, but they just don't seem like luck.
I think when we say these fictional characters are lucky, we really mean outside of their normal abilities. In my opinion a luck mechanic needs to be something other than just a limited general bonus.

 

[Celebrim]

Have you played RPGs where one of the main attributes was a luck score? How do you feel about systems where a character's luck differs to the next guy's as much as, say, his strength?

Yes, and its fine particularly if you are doing genera emulation where in the narrative some characters are simply luckier than others.

Chill 2e had Luck as one of its attribute scores. I think the big danger you have to avoid is making Luck a God Stat that applies to everything. From an optimization standpoint, maximizing your Luck at character creation was the way to go. Luck was the secondary bonus to just about everything.

In my current Homebrew, luck is related to Charisma and reflects that high charisma individuals have more favor from the Gods and spirits that truly run the universe. It shows up in the form of Destiny Points which are basically rerolls (with a few other less often used uses), where the initial size of your Destiny Point pool is 1 + Charisma bonus, so I'm using basically the 'resource pool' notion of 'luck' though in my universe there is no 'luck'. What you perceive as luck is literally the universe liking you. Pretty people 'have all the luck'.

I'm thinking about adding a new class (Paragon) that at least in part would be based around this concept. The purpose would be for genera emulation of the 'badass normal' or 'non-special sidekick' whose powers often seem to be at least in part luck based.

And I guess it can be argued that most - if not all - dramatic protagonists are lucky; James Bond, Captain Kirk, Jack Sparrow, Indiana Jones - heroes tend to be lucky in most popular fiction.

Batman, for example. I could wander the streets on foot at night for years and not encounter a mugging in progress or a convenience story robbery. And since no sane mugger is going to try to mug The Batman, how does he manage always to be at the wrong place at the right time if he's just an extraordinary normal with no superpowers?