House Rule: "Character" Interpretations for Mythic

In Tom Pigeon's Mythic RPG and Game Master Emulator, the Fate Chart and Event Meaning Tables offer a solo player narrative-based answers that require the player's interpretation and application to the adventure's context. According to Mythic, "Whatever seems the most logical answer, given the circumstances, is the result."

But what if it wasn't the player interpreting a cryptic message? What if was the player's character? There IS a difference...

Alex S., host of the BattReps blog, has his own house rule to cover those moments when he - as the character - wants to interpret something mysterious without being certain that his interpretation is necessarily correct, thus preserving surprise and suspense.

From Alex:

The following rule is used when a player receives strange or cryptic advice from some kind of professional, or when he or she is the subject of a prophesy.

The information presented is deciphered the way the player sees appropriate (as per standard Mythic rules), but when the information is to be applied to a situation by the character, roll d100. The roll will determine the advice's validity or the correctness of the character's interpretation of it according to the following:

THE INTERPRETATION WAS

wrong (01-10)

inaccurate (11-20)

maybe possible (21-40)

possible (41-60)

almost certain (61-80)

definitely true (81-00)

Some events during the game can increase the above results. For example, if the character reads a book that explains the way oracles work, grant a character +10 to the dice roll.

So, unlike standard Mythic, Alex's house rule makes it possible for you, the player, to be wrong all along and not know it until a critical moment!

Alex illustrated his house rule this past summer during a solo Trail of Cthulhu adventure. The write-up of that adventure can be found HERE. Midway through, watch as the character Alex receives some murky advice from a medium. Then, keep reading...it won't end like you expect it will...