SM PS Concentration



Not every mod is bad; concentration can help when the character is operating at the bleeding edge of his skill level. This is exclusively a traded bonus applied before the luck rolls, where accepting a time and awareness penalty gain DoD point help. In some cases, like projectile combat, the system accounts for concentration by penalizing in time but improving the odds. Most situations will be similar, and it is up to the Ref's judgment what bonuses are granted.

How does it work? Like everything in the universe, it's relative. Depending on the length of time the task would take, by increasing it by 50%, 100% (doubling it), or 200% (tripling the job duration), the DoD is lowered by 10%, 20% or 30% respectively. Anything more is subject to the Law of Diminishing Returns, though if you can hire Johnny Cochran, maybe you can convince the Referee that a greater reduction in DoD is warranted. Concentration will negate a whole lotta bad luck.

This is one of the best tools for reducing the difficulty of Mission: Impossible DoDs, but it has its price. While the character takes extra time to check and recheck the steps of the job and the resources going into it, he has tuned out the distractions. If he can do this safely, without hazard or interruption, it's like free money. If he attempts it while, say, infiltrating a foreign military installation, there is a chance that a patrol or security check is going to discover the intruder. If the character has back-up looking out for him, or is ready to sacrifice himself (the hero is disarming delicate anti-tamper devices in bomb in the middle of firefight), it can be worth it. As you might have guessed, this is the requisite skill for a sniper to make that 1,000 yard shot.