Tabletop Gaming Feeds

Day 28 of #RPGaDay2024. T-Minus four days! I stuck to posting about the alternative prompt challenge list by Skala Wyzwania for this entire month. For more information on RPG a Day, see David Chapman’s Autocratik blog post for 2024.

The RPG challenge theme for today is Mimic. Rolling a 1d10 for the quest. The result is 5: Write a legend or rumor.

An excerpt of the famed Treatise on the Origin of Mimics

Presented to the Assembly of Scholars in Veriall,

on the Summer of the17th Year of the New Dynasty

“While many explorers and scholars may know of the common Mimic, a creature with a mutable shape that can assume the appearance and texture of inanimate objects. While a chest is a familiar image of the beast, there are stories of larger Mimics, some as large as a house. However, the recently unearthed secret tomes of the Cabal of the Masters of Sakai propose the origin of Mimics.

These fallen warlocks propose that Mimics are related to the Fleshmasters of Ravall. They are similar creatures created by the Aye Eye master of the skyship the Great Reaver that crashed to Ravall in antiquity and came to form the great dungeon under the capital of that long-ago kingdom. These creatures were taken by tomb robbers who made their way to the ruins of Ravall, taking them to other lands and spreading them throughout the world.

However, a story claims that the ancient skyship the Great Reaver was an amalgam of metal and flesh and that large parts of the ship were alive. To validate these claims, those who adhere to this theory refer to the events of the destruction of the Great Engine in Ravall and the Rise of the Wyrms twenty-three years ago.

The stories claim the man who has come to be known to us as The Tracker was hiding in the ruins of Ravall, in the tunnels of the Great Reaver, and that the profane Lich Necromancer Karuthos, servant of the Darkness, had awakened the remains of the Fleshmasters to hunt and destroy The Tracker.

The foul undead creature that Karuthos had created hunted The Tracker, finally cornering him in the grand corridor that led to the Great Engine in the depths of Ravall. The Lich and their monstrosity were set to consume the mortal the Darkness feared most. But as they prepared for their final blow, the corridor shook. The ruin itself was not made of stone or metal. It was a living creature that consumed the Necromancer and the animated amalgam of the Fleshmaster. Allowing the Tracker to Escape and reach his final destination.”

I’ll see you all tomorrow. I hope you’re enjoying these as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.

It is never too late to join #RPGaDay2024. If you find a topic interesting, write about it, comment on it, or talk about it on your socials. The goal is to celebrate all the wonderful things tabletop role-playing games bring to our lives and the positive elements of the community. Don’t forget to tag your contribution with the hashtag and share it with us here, on social media, and in the #RPGaDay 2024 Facebook Group.

There comes a price point where a product falls under "impulse buy", especially RPGs. For me, that's the "5 Dollars and Under" point. Well, the 7th Sea Core Rulebook (Second Edition) certainly does that for me today. With a list price of 24.99, and a normal price of 14.99, until tomorrow morning the 7th Sea Core Rulebook (Second Edition) is the Deal of the Day at DTRPG (in PDF), and can be had for a mere 3 bucks!

Yep, purchased today's Deal of the Day just before putting up this post, as 7th Sea is a title I've heard much about and have yet to experience. 

7th Sea is a tabletop roleplaying game of swashbuckling and intrigue, exploration and adventure, taking place on the continent of Theah, a land of magic and mystery inspired by our own Europe. Players take the roles of heroes thrown into global conspiracies and sinister plots, exploring ancient ruins of a race long vanished and protecting the rightful kings and queens of Theah from murderous villains.

Save the Queen of Avalon from treacherous blackmail!

Thwart a dastardly assassination attempt on the Cardinal of Castille!

Raid the villainous fleets of Vodacce Merchant Princes!

Free the Prince of the Sarmatian Commonwealth from a mysterious curse!

Make decisions that alter the very course of Thean history!

In 7th Sea, you are a Hero, an icon of Theah ready to live and die for causes that matter. You bravely take on a dozen thugs with swords, knives and guns all on your own. You are the trusted knight, a loyal bodyguard or even an adventuring queen herself.

In other words—you are d’Artagnan, Milady de Winter, the Dread Pirate Roberts, Jack Sparrow, Julie d’Aubigney, and the Scarlet Pimpernel all rolled up in one!

This is a game of high adventure, mystery and action. This is a game of intrigue and romance.

This is 7th Sea. 

 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar  

 I have been a fan of Traveller for a long time and have bought various books over the years from just about every Traveller licensee, as well as from Marc Miller himself from Far Future. I also support the Citizen of the Imperium forum, which is the main hub for chatting about Traveller. 

Earlier today, I got this email from Marc Miller about the future of Traveller. It good to hear that there is a plan in place.

Some years ago, fellow game designer Greg Stafford died, and I was impressed that his company announced almost immediately that he had a succession plan in place, and that his legacy and his designs would live on.

His example was an inspiration to me, and I resolved to emulate him. It would be a terrible loss if Traveller were encumbered, or somehow restricted in its outreach to present and future fans.

With that in mind, I have worked to make Traveller an asset to science-fiction role-players... with our user-friendly Fair Use policies, with the Travellers’ Aid Society programs, with the Cepheus editions of Traveller, and with Mongoose as a primary publisher of their edition of Traveller.

Over the past several years, I have turned over more and more responsibilities to Mongoose, and I have collaborated actively with them as they work to realize the Traveller dream. Earlier this year I passed full ownership of Traveller to Mongoose in order to secure its future.

With that in mind, I point out that, following the example of Greg Stafford, I have a succession plan in place: day-to-day decisions about the Traveller game system are already being made by Mongoose Publishing (with my co-operation and approval), and if anything should happen to me, they would carry on with my full knowledge and blessing. 

That doesn’t stop me from speaking my mind: expressing opinions about Traveller, writing stories and lore, and even revealing secrets about the universe. 

But Traveller is in good hands, now, and far into the far future.

And I thank you for your (continuing) support for Traveller.

Marc

Some spaceship landers from my sketchbook.

 

Day 27 of #RPGaDay2024. We’re counting down, five days to go! I continue posting about the alternative prompt challenge list by Skala Wyzwania. For more information on RPG a Day, see David Chapman’s Autocratik blog post for 2024.

The RPG challenge theme for today is Shapeshifting. Rolling a 1d10 for the quest. The result is 1: Describe a monster.

Undead Pit of Fleshmasters

The Lich Necromancer Karuthos walked down Ravall’s now silent corridors. In the depths of the catacombs are the Fleshmasters, the remains of ten, perhaps twelve, some torn apart, others fallen with their shapes half melted. The Heroes of Reavefalls destroyed the genetic pits and the Fleshmaster Brain that resided there. But Karathos can feel the flesh, the lifeless mass, and calls forth the power residing there, awakening it in death. The remains of the Fleshmasters slide and crawl, forming a boiling, roiling mass of alien flesh animated by the lich’s necromantic powers.

An undead pit of Fleshmasters is the remains of a clutch of the shapeshifting alien creatures animated by dark necromantic arts. It can shapeshift into giant creatures that are dead and lifeless. It cannot speak or communicate; it screeches and bubbles. In its natural form, it falls upon enemies like a wave, consuming them with its acidic touch. Leaving behind the bleached bones of those it absorbs.

Karuthos looks at its creation. His control over the awakened creature is tenuous but enough to give it a simple command. Hunt The Tracker! He hides in the ruins of Ravall, and you will kill it for Karuthos master, the Darkness.

Will the undead Fleshmasters find The Tracker? Join me tomorrow, and we’ll find out together.

It is never too late to join #RPGaDay2024. If you find a topic interesting, write about it, comment on it, or talk about it on your socials. The goal is to celebrate all the wonderful things tabletop role-playing games bring to our lives and the positive elements of the community. Don’t forget to tag your contribution with the hashtag and share it with us here, on social media, and in the #RPGaDay 2024 Facebook Group.

 

A Family-Friendly RPG of Innocent Mischief

Let me get this out of the way immediately. I've known James Spahn for well over a decade. I consider him a brother and was his sponsor for Confirmation in the Catholic Church. James is, for better or worse, my family. So take that for what it is worth ;)

Halfjinks is James' current Kickstarter. If ANYONE were a fan of halflings/hobbits, it would be James. Complete stop. It is literally his passion and his expertise. I'm sold ;)

Halfjinks, as the pranks pulled by adolescent halflings are known to flustered locals, is a roleplaying game for the whole family! 

Inspired by and building on the Mausritter rules and using its third party license, Halfjinks is a game where players take up the roll of halfling children eager to pull a few pranks in the local community. 

They'll venture from their home ("But not too far! We need to be back by dinner!") in an effort to cause a little trouble. Whether it's hiding a live chicken in the post office, nabbing a treat from the annual Pie Eating Contest, or exploring Old Man Whipplebottom's Farm where they say a dragonslayer's tomb is hidden, they're hoping to bring a touch of fun to the dulldrum days that fill the lives of their fellow villagers.

But such brave explorers will need proper provisions and without a sturdy walking stick and a ready snack, a halfling's Comfort might drop so low that they become Bored or Hungry and decide its best to go home!

 The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar 

" The greatest collection of heroes, ever, annouced by their famous battle cry: Avengers Assemble! Includes a 32-page sourcebook with complete information on 30 past and present Avengers, 22 of their enemies, the Avengers mansion, and SHIELD! " The year is 1984, and we're deep into Marvel Super Heroes here comes Marvel Super Heroes Avengers Assembled by Bruce Nesmith. This blog Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

The print proof of Hellion Cross looks really nice! I love the fact that you can do this shit in 2024 without a ton of monetary investment. Of course, I'll have to pay for the actual copies I plan to put up for sale. Final sale price will likely be $15 each. I wanted to sell them for less, but the cost of mailing and packaging AND the cost of printing the books... it adds up.

I'll post about it when the books become available. My plan is to sign each and include a sketch card. Collector's item!

I've gone through my page on DriveThruRPG (and will hit itch in a hot minute), and I've taken down the books for Stalwart, and replaced them with the new, improved, super snazzy core rules for Stalwart '85! Thanks to the Kickstarter backers, this book is a pay-what-you-want release, and includes everything you need for ongoing play. The Kickstarter continues until September 11, and you can get you copy of the full rules (160+ pages) in pdf and print, as well as a number of cool, exlusive add-ons and nifttiness. 
Thanks SO MUCH to the backers of the Kickstarter whose support made this project possible. We still have two weeks to go! 

Here's a bit of Groo fan art, for fun and giggles!

 

By M.Bongers
Stone Gear Studios
OSR
Level ?

To kill a Unicorn is a tragedy. To murder one and construct a weapon from it’s remains is a sin against the world. 

This eight page adventure presents a single NPC. I guess I should have known better.

Someone I know was getting her oil changed. They told her that she needed to get her air filter and cabin filter changed once a year. $80. She doesn’t know. Every oil change place is a rip off. Every chain auto place is a rip off. You get your oil changed and NOTHING more and hope that they actually do it and don’t fuck it up while ripping you off. The dealer is the same but they are better at lying and charge 5 times more.

Don’t you wish you could trust someone? If you buy something you could feel like you didn’t need to worry about getting screwed over? Puffery abounds. More than puffery? Adventure levels one through five! Yeah, but it was written for fives and the one experience is totally different, not expanded upon by the designer, and left as an exercise for the reader. Sandboxes that defy the expectations of a sandbox. And not in a good way. It doesn’t matter what the product description says. Do you research, endlessly, for a $2 product? Why not just buy it? You can afford it, right? Damn the cynicism that builds up from the continual line of garbage that flows obfuscates, beyond the category of outright lies. Is it an apple? What, Socrates, is an apple? The form? The function? “It is art if you say it is art.” … and an analogy to D&D adventures? At what point does incompetence become outright fraud? The marketing blurb on DriveThru? Ha! 

Frank the NPC kills this unicorn and makes a spear out of its horn. He then goes around killing animals, I guess. You stumble upon his campsite outside of a city. He’s got a couple of followers “if the DM wants to make the combat harder.” That’s your adventure. Nothing more. Just you fight this dude at his campsite, which is not detailed. Does he have a personality? Yeah. Paranoid. So he picks a fight with the party if they are nice to him instead of immediately stabbing him. Cause fighting gotta happen, I guess. It’s a long NPC description and then a note that you can fight him at his campsite. Enjoy this adventure. Or NPC. Or whatever it is. 

But, hey, not to worry. There are fifteen downloads for this eight page adventure, so you can have those eight pages arrayed any way you might imagine, as well as solo artwork pieces. Wonderful effort there.

This is $1.50 at DriveThru. There is no preview. Which means I can’t tell if it’s an NPC or an adventure. “But the description says there is an NPC!” And what does the description not say? And I’m supposed to start believing what the marketing says now? Everything is hopeless. Except … the existence of a good preview, which shows you everything you need to know before you buy. Which this doesn’t have.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/490601/a-spear-brings-sorrow?1892600

 Tonight's Hostile game was a 'cat & mouse' operation between the crew and the Chinese agent from Tau Ceti who was much more then he appeared to be. The crew blew an air lock near space onto thier next port of call on Tau Ceti. This guy wasn't at all what he appeared to be. The crew were operating &  aboard the USS Franklin a Harbinger frieghter undercutting the competitionNeedleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

Day 26 of #RPGaDay2024. We’re on the home stretch! Last week of RPG a Day for 2024. I continue posting about the alternative prompt challenge list by Skala Wyzwania. For more information on RPG a Day, see David Chapman’s Autocratik blog post for 2024.

The RPG challenge theme for today is Tattoo. Rolling a 1d10 for the quest. The result is 3: Write a bulletin board quest.

Wanted!

All across the Rixes River Valley and beyond, this wanted poster is posted in every town square and handed out to every noble and guild. General Arago has commanded every soldier in his army to look for this man. He sent forth questing knights of the Order of the Silver River to find this man who Gavinia the Mighty believes holds the key to final victory over the powers of the Darkness.

Wanted! Alive and safe. The Alliance of the Kings of the Rixes River, the Clans of the Great Ruhn, and the Conclave of the Cities of Autumn seek this man. He is known variedly as the Tracker, the Curse Marked, the Witness of Secrets, or the Mageflame. We seek his aid in fighting for the world’s freedom from the oppression of the Darkness. The magical tattoos he bears change color and shape and can be sensed as a potent ensorcellment to any with the sight of magic.

The gathered enemies of the allied free and good people of the land hunt for him and seek to destroy him. This man may be incapable of controlling the energies he can call forth through the tattoos he bears and may affect those who wield magic in unpredictable ways. Those who escort him to the officers of General Arago will receive titles and lands for their heroic actions. Let no stone be unturned until we find him!

Continuing the story of the Tracker, some time has passed when he returns to the world, and the power he wields through the tattoos he bears is harder and harder to control. The forces of good and evil seek him for very different reasons. Will adventurers find him and deliver him safely to those seeking help, or will the hordes of the Darkness destroy him? We’ll find out this week!

It is never too late to join #RPGaDay2024. If you find a topic interesting, write about it, comment on it, or talk about it on your socials. The goal is to celebrate all the wonderful things tabletop role-playing games bring to our lives and the positive elements of the community. Don’t forget to tag your contribution with the hashtag and share it with us here, on social media, and in the #RPGaDay 2024 Facebook Group.

Venger Satanis leads you by the tentacle, showing you how to make your gaming more gonzo and accessible for novices and veterans alike.

If you watch my videos and live streams, you know I have no issue with the f-bomb, let alone using it myself. That being said, I think I may need to avoid using it as part of the title of a blog post.

Primordial Chaos: Gonzo Like A Fucking Boss, is Venger's latest, and possibly last, Kickstarter, as V has announced his retreat from the hobby after this Kickstarter fulfills. As I'm writing this, I'm listening to the latest (last episode?) of Inappropriate Characters, with Venger as one of the hosts. Its the end of an era.

Whether Venger is within your wheelhouse is a personal decision, and Venger doesn't shy away from offending large segments of the gaming community. All of which is a shame, as he is a very skilled creator.

Primordial Chaos: Gonzo Like A Fucking Boss is 20 bucks in PDF, but I do advise you add a Cha'alt Hardcover book (or the Cha'alt Trilogy) to your backing - it makes the Primordial Chaos PDF essentially free ;)

Unformed, omnipotent, oscillating, undulating, chromatic, prismatic, and ultra-telluric.  Primordial Chaos is the throbbing gristle of our hobby, the pale underbelly of a sandworm coughing up a hairball akin to the dark messiah who shall change the unchangeable.  Neon fuchsia reflected on the chartreuse palm of an all-seeing eye.  It is the prophecy!

Gonzo is awesome in and of itself, but gonzo can also be used to enhance the roleplaying experience in a variety of ways.  The problem is that, for many gamers, gonzo is inaccessible, hard to understand, and difficult to implement successfully.  

There's regular old surface immersion, and then something deeper, darker, stranger... a hyper-immersive PSYCHOCOSMIC experience that you just can't obtain with vanilla fantasy or plain-Jane dungeon delving.  That's right!  This book will go beyond gonzo - exploring outer depths of reality that only a madman or magician in his wildest fever-dream could conceive.  With the forbidden knowledge contained inside Primordial Chaos, your gaming will take on a reality of its own; as real as you need it to be. 

According to the RPG Pundit, I am the master of stupid gonzo fantasy.  I've made gonzo a cornerstone of my writing, designing, and gaming output.  Now is the time, I am the individual, and this is the book that will not only put primordial chaos on the bloodstained map, I'll show you how to gonzo like a fucking boss!

Do you want random tables that would make seasoned Arduin-Rifts-Carcosa gamers cross the street to avoid you?  Because backing this Kickstarter is how you get those kinds of random tables... and ants!

 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Rumble or YouTube - Tenkar

Unless I'm dead or something, today I'm on my way to see King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard live! Very exciting! Great band. If I had a current favorite, they would be it.

I'll see you after the show.

 

My daughter is a Taylor Swift fan (a ‘Swiftie’), and I have a running joke where I sing “Look… what you made me do” as a lounge singer. I was thinking of all y’all this morning, and that song came into my head… because you need to look… at what you made me do.

Stalwart has had a few knocks against it, and I have accepted those as functions of the system. It doesn’t do street-level supers all that well. It doesn’t have a lot of granularity. The dice get swingy (especially at the higher end).

This change addresses all those concerns.

In my proposed change, there are two ‘types’ of tiers: human and superhuman. The human tiers roll 1 die, and have SVs of half the die rating +1. Human dice range from D4 to D10 (I go back and forth on the D12, but for right now it's not there)… So if you are an enhanced human who has been given a dose of the Freedom Formula, you have D10 Might and Reflex. However, the moment you cross the line from ‘human’ to ‘better than human’, you now roll two dice, starting at 2D6 and peaking at 2D12 (with 2D20 reserved for cosmic entities). However, there are also places between these tiers where we can mix and match dice to create more granularity… For example, at the Meta tier, you roll D6+D8… for these tiers, the SV is the average of the two dice, which creates a nice, smooth scale.

Human Tiers

• Normal (D4; SV 3/1)
• Trained (D6; SV 4/2)
• Expert (D8; SV 5/2)
• Paragon (D10; SV 6/3)

Superhuman Tiers

• Super (2D6; SV 6/3)
• Meta (D6/8; SV 7/3)
• Legendary (2D8; SV 8/4)
• Colossal (D8/10; SV 9/4)
• Titanic (2D10; SV 10/5)
• Supreme (D10/12; SV 11/5)
• Ultimate (2D12; SV 12/6)

This would also change dice shifts a bit, since you would shift your lowest die up +1… so you would shift down from 2D6 to D4/6, then down one more to 2D4… you would shift up from 2D6 to D6/8, then to 2D8, then to D8/10… this mechanically distinguishes humans from superhumans, and creates a remarkable amount of granularity. I am not too concerned about balance… as a quick thought through this, Arrow is an Expert human (so he attacks with D8), but he also has Aim +3, so he’s averaging 7 to hit (max 11), which means that he can reasonably use his bow against someone with Titanic Evade (10). The numbers don’t scale to the point where they are impossible. I plan to play test the HECK out of this before making edits, but I’m seriously considering this change to the core mechanic.

The adventure into artists continues with a creator I don't remember hearing about until recently, but I almost certainly saw his work at some point in the past: François Walthéry.

This Belgian artist got started in the comic magazine Spirou, which I am unfamiliar with. His biggest claim to fame is being the primary artist for the comic character Natacha, a "resourceful airline hostess". Welz has Cherry, Thorne has Red Sonja, Walthéry has Natacha.

And here's the surprising bit... I didn't decide to post about this artist because Natacha is a hot femme cartoon character. No no. While it is true, it is also true that François Walthéry is an exceptional cartoonist and I hope to pick up some of his books just to study them! Good stuff.

And it seems Natacha is very, very popular. Lots of material out there, include a postage stamp?!

Day 25 of #RPGaDay2024. I continue posting about the alternative prompt challenge list by Skala Wyzwania. For more information on RPG a Day, see David Chapman’s Autocratik blog post for 2024.

The RPG challenge theme for today is Mutant. Rolling a 1d10 for the quest. The result is 2: Create an NPC.

The Tracker

The infernal beast is vanquished, three Guardians are dead, and the other four, including the bandaged man, are using their magic to rebuild the Orrery of the Beyond. They pay me no heed. There are more pressing concerns. I feel the burn of the magical energies on my skin, but I won’t stay around to ask for an explanation. I saw other portals, like the ways that led me here in a smaller hall, time to jump into the unknown.

As I sneak down the corridor to my destination, I pass a fountain, bend down to splash water on my still-burning skin, and see it. I am not burned but marked—strange and enigmatic runes and symbols on my skin—no time for questions. I have to get out of there. I’ll figure this all out soon enough.

The Tracker is a young man trained in stealth and deception by the Pilfers’ Guild in the streets of Ceronia. The Sisters of the Merciful Mother gave an orphan to the Orphan House of The Abbey of Gullion, but the monks are drunks, and the children are often recruited because of their abilities. This young man was trained as a scribe by the monks, but he often climbed up the walls undetected to explore the city, recruited by the Pilfers, and promised a life of adventure.

He refused to kill at their behest, and shortly before his skin was inked for the Guild, he escaped the city and made his way as a porter, tomb explorer, and hunter. In this role, he learned that his skills could be put to good use to track those who did not want to be found. He worked for bounty hunters, warlocks, and jilted lovers, looking for the truth. One such job, to find a cursed priest, had begun this wild adventure, and now he was forever changed by the magic of the Orrery of the Beyond, with magical powers he was yet to unravel.  

So, he’s called the Tracker. The name came to me as soon as I read the topic today. Mutated by magic, how will our narrator fare now? Will he make it to the end of the story? I’m not sure; let’s find out together.

It is never too late to join #RPGaDay2024. If you find a topic interesting, write about it, comment on it, or talk about it on your socials. The goal is to celebrate all the wonderful things tabletop role-playing games bring to our lives and the positive elements of the community. Don’t forget to tag your contribution with the hashtag and share it with us here, on social media, and in the #RPGaDay 2024 Facebook Group.

 "They are the children of the atom, the next step in human evolution. They are mutants, hated and feared by mere humans. Some, like the X-Men and the New Mutants, are protectors of humanity. Others, such as the Hellfire Club and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, want to be the masters of humanity.""Now, the major marvcom mutants, well-meaning and malign, are collected in one book. More than Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

I've had a few conversations around the dice in the game, and different options for reducing the swinginess of the options. I had already published one alternative, but I've come up with a second as well... here is a picture of the working draft of this page. Feedback is welcome! (By the way, the 2 or 3 always failing on 2D keeps this statistically similar to the current rules for automatic failure).