When I’m running a game and a player fails an especially important roll, I like to say “How did you fail? What went wrong?” It won’t change the outcome, but giving the player agency to define and describe their failure can help to make it a more satisfying story. Was it just bad luck? Were they distracted by one of the other characters? Were they overconfident? By giving the player the chance to personalize their failure, it can become a fun part of the story instead of just disappointment.
— Keith Baker (@HellcowKeith) September 21, 2022
Sometimes I like to do this before the roll, and say, “What are you afraid will happen if this all goes wrong?”
Usually this works better with skill checks, not something I’d pull out in combat. Yes, it's not something you want to do with every roll. I wouldn't do it every time someone misses an attack; on the other hand, if it's THE attack where they've poured limited resources into it and it's the one chance to end the battle quickly, then maybe.
— Keith Baker (@HellcowKeith) September 21, 2022
