Luck

Luck, Nightfall thought, is a matter of opinion.
- Mickey Reichert, "The Legend of Nightfall"

Just been thinking about luck in RPGs. In most games, luck is seen as a bad thing (or at the very least a humorous one). Take D&D for example, where 3 goblins can defeat a level 5 dwarf. In most cases, use of luck in an rpg boils down to metagaming to reduce the problems it can cause. "I have +X, he likely has less, so attacking him is a good option..." and the like.

Diceless games don't have this problem. The problem they get is that killing off characters can no longer be blamed on chance. The blame - such as it is - falls solely on the GM or the player. Likely a combination of both, depending upon the situation, since the GM is the one who sets up most situations. Most diceless games tend to have some luck variable built into the system to deal with those problems, or (like Tyranny) have mandatory weaknesses built into characters.

Advantages of dice:	Random elements are fun. People like chance, even if it works against them. You can end up with a lot of unintentional humour.
Disadvantages of dice:	Strong tendency towards metagaming. Bad luck can kill even the best pcs. Distracts from telling the story.
Advantages of diceless:	You can reasonably expect to make the kind of character you want to. More emphasis on role playing.
Disadvantages of diceless:	Lack of excuse for GMs and players when characters die. Death becomes far more aribitary. Loss of the chance mechanic.

Any other thoughts?