Voluntary use of Foreboding?

[Oddball]

Reading the new Conspiracy Rules, I’ve been thinking about the Foreboding skill.

The normal use for Foreboding seems to deny any implication of the will of the character that possesses the skill. In some sense, it works nicely as an opportunity for the referee to introduce a new plot, create an adequate atmosphere or introduce some clues. A powerful tool to be used in the right moment. My favorite empathic skill, I would say.

But taken as explained in the DC rules I’ve read for the moment (1st Edition and 3rd Edition), it have important weak points. First, it seems to be a skill always skill tied to the will of the referee and to the plot (or to any sub-plot) of the adventure. The fact that this information comes always when the referee considers it opportune, creates a totally different effect to what will be created if, per example, a routinely Foreboding uncertain check will be allowed each night to the character owning the Foreboding skill. Players will be more suspicious to the information given. Not to have a “special dream” does not mean something important is going to happen. With a Catastrophic Failure the referee could mislead the player without the sense of being arbitrary. After all, he/she has not chosen to try to use the Foreboding skill. The player has. In the same way, the important clues will be received through this way. The relevance of the information could be appreciated by the way the referee explains it, but the way he/she depicts the dream, but not by the fact that this information comes exactly when the referee wants.

Now, the second weak point. If you are used to prepare introductory adventures for new players with pre-generated characters, there’s one typical question if any of these characters have the foreboding skill. How can I use it? Or… can I try to have a dream tonight? It’s a logical question. After all, all the other skills are used accordingly to the will of the player and to the character capabilities. Why not Foreboding? For the same reason explained above, the player seems to have spent some points in the character generation to raise a skill that will be used to the referee. Could some rituals, drugs or psychological states allow the voluntary use of the Foreboding skill?

Hmmmm… I hope to have passed my English Skill Check to make my thoughts understandable enough.

Ok, I suppose that some of you have some responses based in what you do in your gaming sessions. A voluntary use of the Foreboding Skill (or a routinely check every time the character can have some opportunity to dream) does not deny the important role of the skill in the hands of the referee. What do you think? How do you manage this? Any idea about a Power Level table as guidance for the Foreboding results?

Thanks in advance!

[Linden]

Ok, I suppose that some of you have some responses based in what you do in your gaming sessions. A voluntary use of the Foreboding Skill (or a routinely check every time the character can have some opportunity to dream) does not deny the important role of the skill in the hands of the referee. What do you think? How do you manage this? Any idea about a Power Level table as guidance for the Foreboding results?

I allow voluntary Foreboding rolls in my game. Quality of information depends on power level but always on the vague side.

[Oddball]

Hmmmm... the Vague Side Of Foreboding... For the moment, it's my way to deal with this skill, too.

[ReHerakhte]

I really like the idea of the character with Foreboding skill having dreams or insights that might indicate good/bad things for the future. Particularly the idea that the characters might come to rely on the person with Foreboding and then if one day they don't have any dreams, the characters are left to wonder about what might (or might not) happen!

I'm going to use this idea in my campaign once we find a venue to play it - sadly lacking at the moment now that the player whose house we were using has decided to game with a different group instead of ours

[Zvezda]

The player whose house we were using has decided to game with a different group instead of ours

The player's player should have invested more points in Willpower so that his character has more resistance to mind control. Dark involvement is obvious.


When we use Foreboding I limit the ability to look into the future. I roughly follow the ideas form Sergei Lukyanenko's "Watch" that even if you manage to successful trace the lines of fate to the future, what ever you "see" there does not have to become true. I also limit the ability to voluntarily use the skill by connecting it to various devination rituals and the presence of the person who's future is to be read or in case it is not a person the object.

[Oddball]

Dark involvement is obvious.

Yep... They take pleasure from our suffering

When we use Foreboding I limit the ability to look into the future. I roughly follow the ideas form Sergei Lukyanenko's "Watch" that even if you manage to successful trace the lines of fate to the future, what ever you "see" there does not have to become true. I also limit the ability to voluntarily use the skill by connecting it to various devination rituals and the presence of the person who's future is to be read or in case it is not a person the object.

Nice suggestions! Thanks. I will try to write a little "house rule" based on them.