PC Memory

[Veknironth]

Well, I was wondering if you preferred the capacity of standard hard drives or if you prefer the speed of solid state. Kidding, I’m talking about player characters.

As you might know, I had a little trial with my PCs. I was shocked at how differently the remembered events from the previous adventure, which took place 6 days prior. I couldn’t tell if they were misremembering or lying to protect themselves. I thought about what would have Happened with Words of Truth (or if someone is charmed). What do you do when a player doesn’t remember something the character should or misremembers? For the sake of argument I’m assuming the GM’s memory is correct.

Usually, PCs rely on the GM to be their characters memory for a lot of stuff. NPC names or objectives that they may have forgotten because they returned to their real lives and forgot while dealing with work or kids. Their PCs know so you remind them as the GM. But if they need to impart information but don’t remember do you just take the character over? You could kind them of the truth, but what if they say, “that’s not how I remember it.”

The easy solution is that the GM isn’t involved with the PC memories at all. The character members what the player does. But that puts a large onus on the player.

-Vek
“I prefer the speed of solid state drives.”

[kiralon]

A couple of my players have terrible memories in real life so i tell them to write everything important down.

It takes game time, but at the start of each game session have the players go over what happened the last session from the start to the finish, and if they manage to do that themselves they get an xp bonus for the upcoming session. Helps them remember stuff and when they manage it they feel happier, and it encourages them to take notes.

and for the totally forgotten, i allow an IQ check, but this reduces the xp they get for the encounter even if they fail, and they get told what the negative is, so often they will go with can't remember anyway.

I have had players forget what i have said 5 minutes after saying it.

"I prefer a ram drive "

[Whiskeyjack]

Notebooks.
My son has started doing this with our games, writing down names and descriptions of people and places, and important things that happen. I actually ask him for info on what happened in prior sessions now.

[Veknironth]

Well, having PCs who are better prepared and paying more attention would certainly help.

-Vek
"I'll just put the onus on them,"

[Soldier of Od]

I will remind the players of something their PCs should know, as oftentimes weeks or months have gone by in real time compared to days or even hours in game time, and the things that have happened to their characters are probably more important to the character than the players, who have their own lives to worry about. Other stuff I might hint at or steer them in the right direction, hoping it jogs their memory, especially if it is one of those sessions where the players are discussing in character what all the events and clues they have experienced really mean. Sort of like "So... you mentioned The Sons of Baalgor - did anyone you met in Arcadia have anything to say about them?" It's even easier if there's a suitable NPC present who can ask leading questions.

IQ checks would be a great way of determining if they remember simple things, but unfortunately, there are no such thing as IQ checks (or any attribute checks) in Palladium - this is the only thing about the Palladium rule system that I really hate. I guess you can house-rule a way to actually use attributes in game, but there are so many different ways to do this.

Funnily enough I never thought about insisting players make notes and leaving it all to them (they do make a few notes, but not many), but that is a good point. I would feel a bit cruel if I did. I think if I brought that in as a rule, one of my players in particular would end up doing all the note taking, and the others would just rely on him to do all their remembering instead of me. I wouldn't like the unfairness of that, even thought it is their own doing. The reward of experience points probably wouldn't overcome their own laziness. And this player already earns more experience points than everyone else most sessions.

[Whiskeyjack]

One way that I've used to make attribute checks is to multiply the attribute by either 4 or 5 and then use it as a skill rolling percentile.

[kiralon]

Since perception has been a stat for me for a very long time a perception check is easily the most commonly used stat check i have, and if someone is prowling, every %5 they make their prowl check by is a negative of 1 for the perception check.
So yeah, i house ruled stat checks into the game a long time ago. Want to do a card trick and don't have the skill (usually because it didn't exist), i'd pick a difficulty number say 25, and if you roll a 1d20, add your stat(PP) and get over that number you succeed.
I play first ed sorta and its house ruled to heck. I have 3 extra stats, high IQ gives extra skills and is the limit on how many spells you can know. There are martial arts and various magic systems i have borrowed from other systems (Wizard uses first ed magic, Sorcerer uses Second ed magic, Magus uses 2nd ed dnd magic and mystic uses the magic from the dragon warriors system (Which you roll each time you cast a spell, and if you get under the number you can keep casting, but if you get over thats it until you sleep, not to mention different spells for each one). Armour Penetration is a seperate roll and you only get your WP plus to strike to the roll which makes armour more useful, magic to increase the ar, perks at different levels to give bonuses to penetrate the ar, and well lots of other different things like extend the range of a spell, to having poison and drugs effect you less. To hit numbers for combat - especially ranged and heaps of other things.

[Veknironth]

Well, I thought about that note-taking aspect. And I figure it would be done in character as well. That adds two interesting things. First, it means the PCs have to be near or somewhow in contact with the note taker. they can't split up and then ask the player who's taking notes a question. Second, if someone encounters those notes that could be a good plot point. I agree that it seems a bit cruel. You, as the GM, are more intimately aware of the details because you're doing all the work to create them. As Od said, those people go on to their jobs, families, etc. and have to worry about those things as well. Personally, I have a really good memory and no real stressors in my life so it's easy.

That said, I did have a player recently take notes but have his character conveniently forget information that would have incriminated him or the group. I'm positive that if that information would have helped them he would have proudly recited the information. I mean he recited the background I wrote for him and then elided the part about being a devour worshipper of Rurga who never lies. So, I'm a little distrusting of the PCs. I worry that if they are compelled to tell the truth, they just won't. Then I have to take over the PC, or get into an argument over what they remember as having happened vs what I remember.

In that situation, there are three main possibilities. The PC tells the truth as I remember it and no issue. The PC doesn't tell the truth because the player doesn't remember or misremembers. The PC doesn't tell the truth because he or she knows it will be harmful in someway, but the player is intentionally lying even though the PC shouldn't be able to do so. Now for the last two, I as the GM, have no way to be sure what the reason is for the misinformation. I can either remind the player that the PC is telling the wrong story or I can take over the PC and have it tell the truth. Taking over the PC I am loathe to do. That character should be controled only by the player. Reminding can lead to that arguement I mentioned above. Usually, I wouldn't worry but I think these guys are sneaky and would try to get one past me.

So, the other option is to leave them on their own. But I think the brief recap at the beginning is a good idea. Maybe ask them if they need anything said to remind them. After that, they're on their own.

-Vek
"Is it Od, or Soldier, or SoO?"

[Soldier of Od]

-Vek
"Is it Od, or Soldier, or SoO?"

No initials. I'm not J-Lo. I demand you address me by my full title!

Or maybe SoOd? I've been called Sod plenty of times.

[kiralon]

SoOd
Is that pronounced so odd ?

[Soldier of Od]

SoOd
Is that pronounced so odd ?

It can be!

The Od/Odd homophone is part of the reason I chose that name in the first place

I was very disappointed when I heard Kevin S pronounce it as "Ode".