Dilemmas: Pick or Push
Into the Odd doesn’t have many moving parts, but your game should have lots of interesting decisions to be made. For interesting choices you need to:
- Give enough information.
- Have multiple reasonable actions.
- Give actions consequences.
A particular type of choice is a Dilemma, the tough choice.
When ruling a Dilemma, remember the mantra Pick or Push.
Present two desirable, or equally undesirable, choices.
The players either Pick one OR Push for both.
If they Pick one, then they get exactly that, but they miss out on the other choice. Don’t over-complicate the choice with too many hidden consequences. Keep it real simple between two things they want.
If they Push for both they’ll have to do one of the following:
- Risk: Try something risky that could range from a single Saving Throw to a full on adventure.
- Sacrifice: Give up something else in return for both, normally a resource. Throwing time or money at a problem is usually the easy way out, so make sure those have real consequences.
- Smarts: Have a really clever idea that lets them get both without losing out. Generally I’m easily talked into this sort of thing, especially if it’s funny. There may still be minor consequences.
