So, any games where the "luck" attribute isn't completely useless?

[Drowed]

So, I always liked the idea of creating lucky characters, who eventually, from time to time, achieve extraordinary results. In a way it even makes me think that the story of the games is more coherent: if the character was simply born with "luck" (whatever the origin of that), then all the coincidences he goes through to become the protagonist of the story suddenly make a lot more sense within the universe. That's why he's often in the right place at the right time.

But in most games, the attribute "luck" is completely useless. All right, in Fallout you have the fact that luck affects the game's virtual dice rolls, and especially the critical chance, and that's cool. You also get a few extra points in gambling if I remember correctly, which is fun and makes sense. Arcanum unfortunately took the attribute out and put beauty in its place, which... WTF, okay, I can kind of understand the logic, but it's a shame.

ATOM RPG have the luck stat, but to be honest, I didn't see many significant differences in the tests I did while playing with high luck and minimal luck. AOD obviously doesn't, and I'd say it makes sense within its game design. Underrail unfortunately doesn't either, but you can create a similar effect by choosing certain specific feats, I guess.

So my question here, Codex, is: do you guys remember other games where there is the attribute "luck", and that the player can choose or influence it in some way? (Save scumming doesn't count.)

 

[Rat King]

With enough luck you'll become virtually unkillable in Morrowind.

Remember this guy?

Spoiler

 

[AliceAlcina]

Trials of Mana.

 

[Piotrovitz]

New Vegas comes to my mind first, since with many crit-boosting perks, the game encourages you to put above-average points in LCK at the char creation, if you're going for this particular type of build.

 

[Zer0wing]

Fallout 4, luck based builds are viable.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Damned Registrations]

Luck is the single most important stat in Nethack. It modifies your attack rolls massively, and generally affects a ton of things you'd expect luck to play a part in, like prayer, traps, status effects, loot, and so forth. It's relatively easy to max out as well.

It's fairly important in ADOM as well, but mostly just keeping it in the positive range. Being cursed or doomed intrinsically is pretty much a death sentence.

I can think of plenty of games where luck does a lot of good stuff, but the problem is you generally can't modify it enough to actually matter at all. There's also luck based builds in Dark Souls 3, but it's basically just a damage scaling stat there like any other, it doesn't really function like luck.

 

[Sinatar]

Dark Souls 2 has weapons that scale their damage with luck, luck also effects special effect proc chance so there are entire effective builds that focus on Luck.

 

[Saduj]

In Fallout 1/2/Tactics a lot of perks are gated behind Luck requirements. In Fallout 1/2 it mostly decides whether you are going for Sniper or not. But in Tactics there are a bunch good of perks gated behind Luck and whether a character has 6 Luck or not would largely dictate my builds.

 

[Syme]

Heroes of Might and Magic comes to mind. Luck is a very good stat as it gives all of your units a chance to do double damage as well as a chance to receive less damage, whereas a negative luck modifier does the reverse and can cripple your entire army.

 

[Ghulgothas]

New Vegas in particular, if only for how it allows you to break the bank in every Casino.

 

[Damned Registrations]

Oh yeah, Master of Magic. Luck basically worked as a multiplier for your other stats. A single point of luck basically meant 33% more attack and defense. It made the halflings really fucking OP and a hero with the luck bonus trait was pretty much downright broken once they levelled up a bit.

 

[Drowed]

New Vegas comes to my mind first, since with many crit-boosting perks, the game encourages you to put above-average points in LCK at the char creation, if you're going for this particular type of build.

Interesting, I played New Vegas, but at the time I had the impression that luck didn't affect the world so significantly. I think it's worth a replay.

I can think of plenty of games where luck does a lot of good stuff, but the problem is you generally can't modify it enough to actually matter at all.

Yeah, that's one of the problems I have with that. I remember several games where there is some kind of mechanic involving luck, but many of them you can't directly interfere with the attribute. At most, only with very specific equipment, or sometimes some magic that affects you for a limited duration. I wanted something else where you could actually do a build based on the idea of being lucky.

Oh yeah, Master of Magic.

I've heard about this game several times (I think here on Codex), but I never really stopped to play. Is it worth it? I've looked at GOG and it's on sale, so I've bought it there because why not. But I wanted to know if it's really worth playing.

 

[Damned Registrations]

I've heard about this game several times (I think here on Codex), but I never really stopped to play. Is it worth it? I've looked at GOG and it's on sale, so I've bought it there because why not. But I wanted to know if it's really worth playing.

It totally is, it just did everything so well. There's a reason people having been trying (and failing) to make a spiritual successor to it so many times in recent years.

 

[Ol' Willy]

Well, In Fallout 1 and, most significantly, Fallout 2 Luck heavily affects random encounters you get. With low Luck you will get hostile encounters more often and with bigger number of foes. I like to play with Luck - 1 (as much luck as I have in my life) and don't invest in Outdoorsman, so Wasteland is a fucking battlefield to me. I remember travelling between Den and Modoc and having random encounters in every square (sometimes several in one square), and no less than half of them had at least 10 enemies in it.

 

[mondblut]

Some pretender builds in Dominions derive most of their income entirely through windfall from the random events nudged by maximum luck dominion.

 

[Darth Canoli]

In the Might & Magic franchise, luck helps reducing spells damage when your resistance isn't 0.

It also helps resisting status effects like poison, disease, items break, etc.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

I think op meant games where it does something interesting, not games where it just increases your critical chance or damage.

 

[Dyskolos]

Luck in Dark Souls 3 raises proc rate for bleed and poison. It has a few weapons that directly scale off it and some others - like scythes - where innate bleed buffed by luck investment makes a valid build variant. Or did before it had been nerfed last I played. Luck also raises item discovery but that never felt especially useful.

 

[Drowed]

I think op meant games where it does something interesting, not games where it just increases your critical chance or damage.

Preferably, yes. But more so because in most games where luck only increases your chances of critical hits, the effect is usually not significant to the point where you create an entire build based on luck. If the attribute is part of a viable build, I would consider it interesting enough.

 

[onemananadhisdroid]

New Vegas comes to my mind first, since with many crit-boosting perks, the game encourages you to put above-average points in LCK at the char creation, if you're going for this particular type of build.

Don't forget that it's also a game in parts taking place in ….(New) Vegas. :D

 

[gurugeorge]

It's a funny thing to make a stat out of, after all from a scientific point of view it just represents coincidence, which is characterized precisely as being empty of any kind of causal connection. If it's anything else then it's just some kind of magic power.

 

[Drowed]

If it's anything else then it's just some kind of magic power.

It may as well be some kind of magic, at least in the broad sense of the word. Some religions believe in the concept of karma, which would be a cycle of causes and effects of our actions whose effects return to affect us, this isn't very different from a universal magic that "balances" the universe. I think that for certain settings, luck can work similarly - it's a principle that governs the universe in such a way as to cause positive or negative events depending on your luck. Hell, it's not as if luck is not literally a superpower in some cases.

Obviously I don't believe in luck as a real force in our universe, but I find it a very interesting concept for fiction universes. In a way, thinking that there is a greater force that governs the events in a chain of cause and effect (especially in fantasy universes) makes the stories of the protagonists of the games make more sense, at least for me. Essentially, it's like when there's a character which is controlled by GM's girlfriend: you see that several positive coincidences always happen to her, and you think, "well, yep, it makes sense".

 

[Funposter]

Demon's Souls, Blueblood Sword.

 

[Yosharian]

Fallout: New Vegas