Someone asked whether the Player or the GM should roll SAN Loss. This brings up the general question, "Who should roll dice?"
My immediate answer is that I let the Players roll dice. As a Player, I love to roll dice. So, I assume it is the same for the Players in my games.
I feel it is a philosophical difference as to GM style.
Let's examine why the GM should roll vs Players and vice versa.
If the GM rolls, then the SAN Loss can be kept hidden. Meta knowledge such as how scary the horror is can be kept a secret. e.g. PCs run into a Shoggoth. SAN Loss 1d6/1d20. Some GMs will keep SAN tallies secret and just describe the effects. Some GMs do this with HP damage too.
If the Players roll, then the amount lost is immediately known, but when you tell the Player to roll it themselves, tensions rise, as the immediacy of the roll affects their PC directly. Who talks to their dice more than a craps shooter? "C'mon, seven! Baby needs a new pair of shoes!" The loss range is known too, so there's a Metagame aspect to this, but I think if you run into something minor and roll few dice (1d3) and run into something major and roll bigger dice (1d20), it's not a spoiler.
I prefer full disclosure and have the Players roll. I also do all my die rolls in the open. Also, it saves time. When each Player takes care of their own PC, everything can be done in parallel. Doing each PC one at a time, takes more time and could deflate the atmosphere, as each Player waits for their turn. Also when they see that I roll a 65 and the monster still hits, there's usually a moan at the table as they understand the monster has a high combat skill. In some very rare cases, I do make some hidden rolls.
I've been in games where the GM is a full-on storyteller, describing everything in deep detail. My issue with this is the Player becomes a passive listener. Nothing wrong with a story told by a great storyteller, but for me, that is what a movie or book is for.
For me, a RPG is a cooperative storytelling game. I want to give you just enough details to build the story in your own mind, so you can add your own details and then interact with it. I don't want to tell you everything you see and feel. I want you to generate that. I want to give broad strokes and you fill in the details. For me, there's a barrier that shouldn't be broken between the GM and Player. I give you details and hints, but the Player is the final arbitrator as to how the PC feels and thinks about something. I will NOT tell you how your PC feels or thinks, except when the system absolutely requires it (Insanity or the rare case of Possession by an other entity). Even for Insanity, I would roll on the insanity chart and ask the Player as to what makes sense for their PC. I really want to give the Players as much agency as possible.
I see several types of skill checks based on timing, when the skill roll is made and when the die roll effect surfaces:
- Immediate Skill Check
- Delayed Skill Check
- Hidden Skill Check
Immediate Skill Check:
When a PC is acting and there's doubt as to whether an action is successful, there is a skill die roll. The result is immediately applied. For example: Locksmith (lockpicking), Fighting, Firearms, Fast Talk, Library Use, Jump, Climb. In those type of skill use, the Player rolls dice and the result is applied immediately.
Delayed Skill Check:
When a PC is acting, but there's doubt as to whether the action passes muster after a significant amount of time passes. For example: Disguise, Forgery. In those cases, I prefer to delay the skill check and have the Player roll the skill roll when it matters. e.g. a PC disguises himself to enter a speakeasy. No die roll is required in getting past the door guard, only the password is needed. But inside the speakeasy, an NPC who has seen the PC before (and probably told the PC never to show his face in there again) has a chance of noticing the PC. That is when the PC rolls his Disguise Skill, at the moment of highest drama.
Hidden Skill Check:
When something happens to a PC unknowingly (or there's doubt as to success) and the GM wants to keep it a secret from all the Players. e.g. Possession by an other entity with nefarious intention.
There are various ways to take care of this:
- GM rolls dice in secret. Generally, the GM will have to ask to see the PCs character sheet to check the relevant skill.
- Player is asked to roll dice without explanation. Generally, the GM will have to ask to see the PCs character sheet to check the relevant skill.
- All Players pre-rolls % dice (20 times) and the die rolls are written down and given to GM. Generally, the GM will also ask the Players to write down the PC's Spot Hidden, Listen, and Psychology skill % also. GM looks up die roll vs specific skill and acts accordingly, crossing off the used die roll.
For hidden Possession, I'd generally just have everyone roll dice and tell me their results whether one PC is targeted or all of them. This hides who is being targeted. And instead of telling the PC they're Possessed, I'd wait until some critical moment and then say, "Remember when I asked everyone to roll % dice? Well, you didn't make your save and because of that instead of helping that PC up from the cliff face, you step on their fingers. Oops!" Remember, the moment of highest drama.
For Psychology skill rolls, I let all observers roll. There is some Metagaming involved as those that succeed "know" whether a NPC has something to hide or not. I may not outright say the NPC is lying, but I may indicate through tells (nervousness, ticks, behavior) that the NPC is not happy with the line of questioning. I do not explain any reason for the behavior, just that the NPC is uncomfortable. Now, sometimes I pick a NPC voice that seems very untrustworthy and let it go at that. Some GMs like to keep Psychology rolls a secret because there's a belief that it fosters more role-playing.
There's also another grouping of skill checks based on how many PCs get to roll:
- Individual Skill Check
- Cooperative Skill Check
- Group Skill Check
Individual Skill Check:
Every PC gets to roll a Listen, Spot Hidden, or Stealth. Those that fail, fail; those that make it, succeed.
Cooperative Skill Check:
One or more PCs may get to roll, depending on the situation; this is where more than one PC is working together to succeed in a skill. See p.88-89 Keeper Rulebook, Physical Human Limits, where you subtract the weakest stat from the target number and the PC with the highest stat rolls. Also see First Aid, p.65 Keeper Rulebook, where 2 people can try to administer First Aid, both get to roll.
Group Skill Check:
The PC with the lowest skill rolls for the whole group. I use this for a Group Luck roll and Group Stealth. You either succeed together or fail together. I offer Group Stealth as an option to Players.
So for me, I let the Players roll most of the dice except for monster attacks and monster damage; I still like rolling dice (my main beef with the Cypher System). I let the Players roll their skill checks, attacks and damage, SAN checks and resulting SAN Loss. I don't worry about Metagaming and trust my Players to keep it at a minimum.
