1/05/2010

Advanced rules.

Okay, after some experimentation and thought, the rules that I came up with earlier don't accurately reflect the real world circumstances which I find myself in. So I'm revising the rules to make them both harder and more lenient at the same time, i.e. more like real life. So without further ado:


Stop Smoking Advanced Ruleset

1. Beginning characters start at level 1.

2. Once every hour the character is allowed to make a will check in order to resist poison.

3. No carryover is allowed, if a roll is missed, then next hour only one roll is allowed.

4. Every successfully resisted poisoning gives 1 experience point.

5. Levelling up takes n*10 EXP where n is the current level.

6. As character level increases bonuses are granted to the saving throw. (See appendix)

7. Certain events that affect willpower will grant modifiers to the roll. (See appendix)

8. A roll of 20 always saves, and a roll of 1 always fails, NO MATTER WHAT.


Appendix A


1. The critical events mentioned in the chart above are for those instances where you habitually have ALWAYS had a cigarette before. For example, I always smoke right after I wake up, and when I arrive at and leave work. So at those times, I would apply the critical modifier to my roll.

2. The time modifier referenced above is an acknowledgement that this is a physical addiction, and every success makes the next one more difficult. For every time check period which has passed since your last smoke minus one, you apply this modifier. Sleeping resets the counter. So if you're a level 2 checking every hour and it's been 3 hours since you last smoked(skipped rolls or successful ones), then your next roll will be at a -4.

3. Fatigue also has a degrading effect on will, so for every hour you've been awake beyond 14 you get an additional time modifier.

4. Given that this is a will check and that stress negatively impacts willpower, stresses, good or bad, will give you a modifier.

A) Severe stresses are extremely rare and will inflict a -5 modifier to your roll. These would be so extreme in nature that you might have trouble lighting up due to the shakes, i.e. : car accident, informed of the death of a loved one, death by firing squad, etc...

B) Moderate stresses are uncommon and induce a -3 modifier. These stresses are strong enough to provoke an emotional response, but not the adrenaline rush of the severe stressors, i.e. : getting chewed out by the boss, arguement with significant other, sexual activity, etc...

C) Minor stresses are common and give a -1 modifier. This is the sort of thing that can happen every day, i.e. : busy day at work, finishing a game(win or lose), drinking with friends, stubbing a toe, having to answer the question "does this make me look fat?", etc...

5. Divine interventions. Once per day you can cheat and smoke a cigarette. I'm leaving this one in there to reflect that there are times when you just NEED a smoke. Also for levels 1-5 you can take it after a roll, but for levels 6-10 you have to take it BEFORE.


So there you have it. My expanded ruleset for DMing your own anti-smoking campaign. Some might note that I allow for rolls after becoming an ex-smoker, but I left that in there to recognize the fact that extenuating circumstances might arise where no matter how long it's been you just want to have another cigarette. After 3 days I have 4 experience points (I roll a lot of natural 20's) and am well on my way to becoming an ex-smoker.

1/03/2010

The Campaign.

I'm a smoker... Not something that I'm especially proud of, but it's a part of my life. For a New Year's resolution (not that I really believe in them, but that's another story) I'm going to, if not quit, then at least seriously cut back on my smoking. In an idea that I'm borrowing from MC Frontalot I'm going to DM (Dungeon Master for the uninitiated) my own smoking abatement campagin. Here's the rules:

Carry around a D20 (twenty sided die) at all times.
Every time I want a cigarette, I'm going to make a will check to resist poison, notably, to resist poisoning myself.
Roll maximum of once per hour, no carry over. i.e. if I skip an hour then I can't roll twice next hour.
For the first week, only on a natural 20 will I save and successfully resist poisoning myself.
For every subsequent week I get a +1 bonus to my roll, so on the second week I resist on a 19 or 20, third week an 18 19 or 20, etc...
For every +5 I get one divine intervention, so when I'm down to 15 then I can cheat once per day, 10 twice, 5 three times.
By week 20 only on a critical fail (a 1) will I poison myself.

If I actually make it that far, then afterwards I'll see about changing the rules some to further cut down, possibly eliminating cheats, or elongating the interval between checks. For those of you that have spent time around me, you'll know that I usually abide by random chance. Be it the roll of a die, or a coin flip, or some other way of determining chance, then I always follow what comes. This should definitely be interesting, wish me luck.