Dire Peril

I'm not sure if I like this idea or not.  Too early to tell, but the fact that I'm on the fence suggests I ought to play-test it.  I just came across this notion whilst watching a YouTube video of John Wick being interviewed.  I was pleased to hear John talk about combat in a similar way to how I view it (watch from 5:10 onwards to avoid the guff).  But he also brings up this concept of Dire Peril.

And it seems to tie-in with what I was discussing in my last post about occassionally overtly rolling dice in front of players to determine the outcome of the combat.  Wicky talks about having a rule where his players cannot die, unless he begins a scene by saying: Dire Peril.  The players then know that the safety is off and they can die in this scene.  I kind of like the idea, as I can see how it would make players cautious and nervous - and thus create tension.  But I'm unhappy about the 'at all other times the players are safe' vibe.

As said, I'll have to play-test this and see how it works.  I'd prefer to use Dire Peril on the fly, perhaps saying it as I reach for my dice and roll them overtly before the players.  And of course virtually any action can involve Dire Peril, not just combat.  Climbing a cliff can be hazardous, after all.

Dire Peril!

It has a nice ring to it.  Although it somehow conjures images of schlock-horror 50s B-movie sci-fi flicks.  There is definitely something to it, though.

I shall report back.