What are the benefits & problems with a main character with luck based abilities?

Can you incorporate luck into stories?


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Cauldrons

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I think it goes to say that luck plays a part of everybody's life. Less so within the confines of stories and the authors iron grip on the story and its world, but we can pretend that some of the characters and world events are left up to luck. I have a question for the authors reading this; have you ever successfully integrated luck into your story without if feeling contrived or like you needed to step in to save a character from a situation they by all rights should have survived?

The reason I bring this up is because even though I'm a terrible author myself as I don't have the patience for it I have a character concept that I just can't get out of my head. My idea goes like this in any situation, fighting someone, shooting a bow, or gambling the character always has a 50% to succeed and a 50% chance to fail no matter what. Meaning the character could snipe someone from 500 feet away or just as easily lose a fight to a rat. I don't know just how easy a character like this would be to write. Would it be true luck if at the end of the day the author decides when they succeed or fail? Could you introduce something like the author flipping a coin in order to see if they succeed or fail and still write a good story?
 

Cipiteca396

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Yes, using a coin or dice to write the story can work. Even if you have a fixed plot you want to write. That just makes it more fun to try and figure out how you're gonna bullshit your way into getting the MC to surpass your bad luck.
 

Syringe

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At the end of the day, it's up to you as the Author to disguise the order of events as luck. Convince your readers that it arbitrary, but you do actually control how things go. I wouldn't rely on physically flipping a coin to determine the direction of your story.

E.g. You want to show that the MC has a lot of tenacity, so you purposely make them fail multiple 50/50s until they eventually succeed. Could make it comedic as well.

I know it's not a book, but one game that handles luck really well (in fighting scenes, however) is Library of Ruina.

Basically, your characters handle multiple dices. Some only one. Each dice is how many times they can attack, and the number form each dice is the D&D equivalent of an initiative. A dice can be 0-3, or 6-9. In your story you can probably implement something like that, where stronger people have statistically better dice.

Of course, stories/games with luck should always have strategies associated with them. All luck is fine, but I think an MC trying to weigh options/etc would make for a 'smart' character in a story of luck.
 

J_Chemist

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I use dice every so often to dictate whether or not my characters succeed or fail. However, before I roll I make sure I have a route that goes in both directions that I can actually use. Pass or fail, I make sure the roll will provide a suitable outcome for the plot. Then, I also take into account the number the dice lands on to account for the extent of the failure/success.

It works very well when you have fight scenarios or training scenes. I don't tend to use it in social scenes as I typically need those to move in a unilateral motion, but I will use it for dialogue where my character needs to barter or persuade the other individual. I would also use it for assessing drops/loot that the character/party might come across.

So long as it makes sense, you can work it into your story. But just remain true to the dice and don't put yourself in a corner where a Nat 1 gives you some stupid outcome. Obviously if you don't want your characters to die in the fight or if it's planned for them to win, don't roll. Just write.
 

Empyrea

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It can work. Just remember to give yourself some space to decide. I feel like you might corner your story too much if all the outcomes are a coin flip. Remember, readers can get pretty upset if your main character comes up tails too many times in a row.
 

Le_ther

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I think it goes to say that luck plays a part of everybody's life. Less so within the confines of stories and the authors iron grip on the story and its world, but we can pretend that some of the characters and world events are left up to luck. I have a question for the authors reading this; have you ever successfully integrated luck into your story without if feeling contrived or like you needed to step in to save a character from a situation they by all rights should have survived?

The reason I bring this up is because even though I'm a terrible author myself as I don't have the patience for it I have a character concept that I just can't get out of my head. My idea goes like this in any situation, fighting someone, shooting a bow, or gambling the character always has a 50% to succeed and a 50% chance to fail no matter what. Meaning the character could snipe someone from 500 feet away or just as easily lose a fight to a rat. I don't know just how easy a character like this would be to write. Would it be true luck if at the end of the day the author decides when they succeed or fail? Could you introduce something like the author flipping a coin in order to see if they succeed or fail and still write a good story?
Luck plays a big role into playing with reader's mind, adding deus ex machina, and even twisting the flow of the plot itself.


It's a good mechanism that also needs luck to make it possible. Some authors succeed with this type of cliche while some fail. It just really depends on your story and how you use it.
 

K5Rakitan

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Only if I'm trying to write a duel or something.
 
D

Deleted member 54065

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For me, it's a balance between 'luck' and 'situation'. Too much 'luck' and it can get unbelievably silly, or too much 'situation build up' and the story can go longer than you intended it to be.
 

melchi

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Loner life in another world has a character who has a luck based ability. Some of the silliness and frustrated antagonists are gold. However, that story is a comedy and not a power fantasy. Luck based abilities don't work as well in a serious story I don't think.

My Attack Stat is Negligible, so I Can’t Help but Rely on Critical Attacks is a good example of this. There are some funny parts and I think that works well but the more serious stuff is kinda meh.
 
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