Shifting The Focus

Early on in development I needed a system that needed to mould to the characters and their unique designs instead of the other way around. I wanted a system that enabled players to write a detailed background and have that actually translate into the game. The only way this was possible was to ditch traditional RPG tropes, no stats, no skills, no XP. These had to go in order to allow for meaningful advancement and the use of skills without needing to label them, but instead ask the question "can you do it?", If you can, then "is it done on a daily basis, or is it something you have learned in the past?".

This method of determining how well you can perform an action is not only fast, but also makes each character unique, bulls from your background and also allows for in game and down time advancement through training and hobbies.

It is the difference between a professional boxer and someone who boxes on occasion. The pro will always have an advantage. The non pro would have to train up to the point of doing it every day to increase their chances. at the same time, neglecting something that is done often can have it drop down to being something you have done in the past if left long enough. This means that you can get rusty at doing something.

This who concept is made even more realistic when the 'how' you perform an action comes into play. This can affect the outcome positively, negatively, or even a bit of both. If you quickly pick a lock, it may be done due to the urgency of not being caught, but has the downside of being sloppy. Doing it attentively may be done precise and with focus, but would take time and you attention s fully focussed on the task.

keeping the focus on this concept, the rest of the system developed around this freedom. This allowed for making some decisions that I wouldn't normally have made, but worked for the better. Making all roles player only allowed for the GM to focus on making narrative decisions based on those rolls, it also allowed the GM to manipulate the narrative with the use of a GM side currency that the players give when wishing to perform extraordinary feats. This again removes the weight from the players and leaves the heavy lifting up to the GM. It also allows the GM to use this currency to cause problems for the players, and save important NPCs from dying during a battle etc.

Keeping the balance allows player to manipulate situations then pay for it later. This allows the narrative to work to the advantage of the story, wherever that may take the players, and works out really well for an exciting game.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A City That Ticks

There is a case to be solved around every corner. The Case of The Drown Man, a mysterious case where someone is found drown in their bed, drenched from head to toe, lungs full of water, yet no water anywhere else in the room, what make it even odder there is no access to water in the room and the communal bathroom is down the hall, yet the window and door were locked from the inside with no possible way of entry, and the victim had the only key on his corpse. A that is just the start. A Clockwork City is full of intrigue from the get go. Nobody knows exactly where they are, the city has landmarks, but nobody can place where they are from, and the city has no name, whenever asked, the answer is all the same. This is The City. Visitors from outside the city can never explain where they have come from, the answer are usually just as vague, "I'm form the Country", "We are from the Coast", yet when asked where that is or what it is called they can't remember, the...
Read more

Drabs, Duds, Sparks & Characters

The mundane everyday folks of The City live their lives blissfully unaware of the world around them. The Shroud keeps them from seeing the truth. It blinds them to the possibilities that there is something more fantastical to life. Thus these mundanes are known as Drabs, because of their bleak outlook on the world. There are those Drabs who, for some strange reason find themselves with the curtains lifted. The Shroud does not affect them. These people are known as Duds, because they exist with one foot in the Spark world, yet don't have a spark of their own. Sparks are those who have awakened a power inside them, a creative Spark that allows them to produce the truly fantastical. There are those who create gadgets and contraptions to achieve their goals, and there are others who imbue art and ink, words and symbols with their power. Spark creations tend to happen when they first awaken. In terms of augmentations, these are done under the knife in specialist Spark establishments tha...
Read more

The Good, The Bad, And The Downwright Horrific

The Good The City is a strange place; On the surface it is just like any city in 1930s America, be it Chicago, New York, or any other. The Veiled, those who are blinded by the truth, continue with their lives blissfully ignorant of what is truly out there. We refer to these people as Drabs. Drabs are completely blinded by The Shroud, a force which clouds their minds and makes them see what they want to see, and keeps them in the dark about the truth of this city. We are The Unveiled, we call ourselves Sparks. The Shroud does not affect us, and it doesn't hold us back back from doing great things. We ignite our Sparks and bring our visions to life through technology and art. We are the bastions of this city, the only ones standing in line to uncover the truth. The City is a living, breathing thing, and Sparks are the last light before the darkness. The Bad The Half-Veiled, those who can see through the veil, but can not craft or creating anything of their own. We refer to these Spar...
Read more