On Power and Privilege

The average PC in THERE IS NO SPOON will have a Matrix of 3 and a Skill of 3. That means on every single roll they make, they will succeed 75% of the time. In combat, this will typically rise to 85 or 90%. This is entirely appropriate: they are heroes, and they have superpowers, and failure is rare in the film. However, it does require some care in setting tasks. Never roll for trivial things, nor roll too often, or success will become too commonplace. Likewise, occasional demands for a minimum of a Matrix success will keep them on their toes.

Most importantly though, since failure is so rare, it must matter dearly. When people fail in the Matrix, they fall forty stories and hit the ground splat, or they get carved up by bullets in one second flat. Failure should either dramatically hinder, skew, or restrict (if not completely ruin) what the players are currently doing, or cause new problems to suddenly arise. Failure, for example, is often a good time for the Agents to spot a rogue element in the Matrix, and send the car around. When they arrive is up to you.

This is less of a problem in combat, because three chips is not very much at all, and players will go down quite easily. This is compensated by how much damage they can do with their successes, but it's also worth remembering the "Woah" rule sometimes. Since failure can easily kill or disable a PC, it's often good to allow any of their successes to chew through a mook. Alternatively, give coppertop enemies only one chip. This speeds up combat no end, as well.

Another problem with all this success is making a dramatic success, the Double success, feel impressive — but not too impressive, because it happens 25% of the time. The only real advice here is to watch the movie a lot. A Double success occurs whenever they use slow motion or freeze frame, and rotate the camera. Sometimes, both parties get a Double, such as the start of the subway battle between Neo and Smith: lots of shots, none of them hit, but it all happens in bullet-time. You should in fact use cinematographic terms like these in your descriptions, and encourage players to do the same.

However, there is a limit to what they can do with a Double. Unless they are The One, Matrix characters are not quite superheroes — they're not impervious to all harm like Superman, nor can they make whatever they want manifest like Green Lantern, nor can they move as fast as the Flash. However, apart from that, they can do almost anything. The kung-fu knob is not broken off, but it is most definitely turned up to eleven. They can't fly, but they can leap any distance they want. It's that hint of grounding that makes them, in fact, appear interestingly superhuman, instead of just superheroes.

But it's not worth worrying too much about this level. If you watch the movie enough, you'll know what feels right and what doesn't. Likewise, a good GM will recognise what is too much control for his players to have and what isn't. Trust your gut and don't sweat it. As long as there's kung-fu and explosions and trenchcoats, and people are having fun, nothing else matters.