THE DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE TO ROLEPLAYING
WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS...
We explore failing forward
Words by Richard Jansen-Parkes
Among the many advantages roleplaying games hold over reality is that when you fail in an RPG, at least you usually know it. When you roll a natural one, there’s very little doubt that things are about to go south.
There isn’t that awkward period when you’re walking around in blissful ignorance of the disaster waiting just around the corner.
On top of this, there’s the fact that failing in real life sucks. Failing in games… well, it can still suck. But it also works to add spice to the story you’re telling. Not only does it allow the successes you roll to shine even brighter, failure can spit out much more interesting stories than unalloyed perfection.
What happens when the bad guy gets away? Or when the cocky fighter gets humiliated by a novice with luck on her side? I don’t know, but it’s probably pretty interesting. At the very least, I’d be shocked if it wasn’t a damn sight more thrilling than the adventures of The Heroes Who Always Got Everything Right And Never Flubbed A Skill Check, Part II.