Heroic Fortitude Check Example

[Carl]

Looking at the example success with a twist listed for the heroic fortitude check, it seems to me that this is actually an example of failure but the story progresses.

Success with a twist: Spaz’s immune system is too compromised, and the disease persists. However, while Spaz was confined to the sick bay, his ally Dr. Vreck was hard at work researching a potential cure. Vreck has learned of a rare sub thermal lichen that grows only on the asteroids of the Alpha System. This lichen may hold the secret to reversing the disease.

Although this is an awesome example of a way to handle the player missing the CR, I wouldn’t call it success with a twist. The following text is in the section on interpreting failure but the story progresses:

The player finds an opportunity for success. Even though your magic fails to dispel the curse afflicting your ally, you discover during later study that a rare herb growing in a nearby forest would give you the power you require.

It seems to me that this is the same concept listed in the fortitude example. I propose something more along these lines for success with a twist:

After a day or two of rest, Spaz makes a full recovery and is now immune. However, unbeknownst to him, he has become a carrier of the pathogen, endangering his unwary allies.

Thoughts?

[brianfeister]

I think the twist here is that the cure has been found, but there’s now a quest required to gather it.

It is perhaps problematic (/cc @Ish) that the two examples seem to define the same exact scenario in the two different categories.

[Carl]

At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter which it is. If the GM makes a ruling so that the roll still matters, who cares whether it’s success with a twist vs failure but the story progresses?

That said, this whole concept is pretty unique to OL, so having consistency in terminology around it within the SRD would be helpful.

[Ish]

Yep. Totally agree. I really like the change that @Carl suggested, too! Let’s go with that.

[brianfeister]

Since you’ve implemented a fix, closing now.