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--- nate:tgimh [2025/11/07 16:54] – paganini
+++ nate:tgimh [2025/11/27 21:22] (current) – [Keys] paganini
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-Roll dice pools to resolve opposed actions. Spend one point of your Will for each Aspect or Condition that contributes dice to your pool. Your Aspects can contribute dice to your opponent's pool if it makes sense that those Aspects would work against you. When an Aspect is used against you in this way, add one to your Will.
+===== Will =====
+Each character has a fund of Will points, arbitrarily set to start at 9 (pending playtest). The main (possibly only) use of Will is to activate Descriptors. If a character ever has 0 Will points, they are out of the scene and must have a Refreshment Scene to restore their Will fund before they can participate in other future scenes.
+===== Descriptors =====
+Descriptors are free-form traits - a word or phrase tagged with an associated die rating. Die ratings are number of dice, not type/sides. All dice in the game have the same number of sides (for now, the default is d10). There might be different categories of Descriptors (Abilities, Relationships, Connections, Values, Equipment, etc.) to aide / help focus decisions about character creation, but mechanically all Descriptors work the same way: spend one point of Will to activate a Descriptor and add its dice to your pool.
+===== Resolution =====
+Roll dice pools to resolve opposed actions. Before rolling, spend one point of your Will for each Descriptor that contributes dice to your pool. Your Descriptors can contribute dice to your opponent's pool if it makes sense that those Descriptors would work against you. When one of your Descriptors is used against you in this way, add one to your Will.
+===== Determining Outcomes =====
 You and your opponent both roll; whoever rolls the highest number on a single die wins. The number of successes is the number of dice that beat the loser's highest die. (In other words, the loser's high die sets the TN for the winner.)
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 If both sides have the same size pools and rolled exactly the same roll then it's a real stalemate, and the GM shifts the situation.
+===== Success =====
 What does success do?
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 First, the roll decides the fiction. Does Abigail convince Christopher to not attack Bob? Does OB1 get the high ground? Does precious favorite NPC get croaked?
-Second, the loser crosses off the box on their Power track equal to the number of successes that the winner rolled. If the loser would rather not cross off a box, they can create an Injury Condition for their character instead. If the box is already crossed off, cross off the next highest available box AND create an Injury Condition equal to the box that was crossed off!
+==== Scene Descriptors ====
-Third, those success can be made into a Condition. Conditions can be invoked (at the cost of 1 Will point) to contribute dice to a pool. Conditions are Aspects that belong to the setting / scene / situation instead of to characters. To create a condition just say (or write down) what it's called and how many dice it has.
+Second, the winner can turn the number of successes they rolled into a Scene Descriptor. To create a Scene Descriptor just say (or write down) what it's called and how many dice it has. These can be invoked (at the cost of 1 Will point) to contribute dice to a pool. A Scene Descriptor disappears when the scene ends, unless someone wants to pay a Will point to make it stick to a character. The idea here is that, if Christopher ties up Bob with 3 successes, Christopher can say "Bob is tied up, 3D," meaning *in this scene* Bob is tied up. When the scene ends, the Scene Descriptor will evaporate, and Bob will no longer be tied up, assumed to have gotten free in the Background somehow. However, if Christopher (or Abigail, or even Bob himself!) pays a Will point to make the Descriptor stick, then it becomes part of Bob's character, and Bob stays tied up until someone does something to set him loose.
+==== Effect on Power Track ====
+Third, the loser crosses off the box on their Power track equal to the number of successes that the winner rolled. If the loser would rather not cross off a box, they can create an Injury for their character instead. If the box is already crossed off, cross off the next highest available box AND create an Injury equal to the box that was crossed off! If the last (highest) box of the Power track is crossed off, the character is out of the scene.
+==== Recovery From Injury ====
+An Injury works just like a Scene Descriptor that's stuck to a character. An Injury lasts until it goes away naturally as a result of the fiction, or until someone does something to get rid of it. You make a Recovery roll against an Injury to get rid of it; just reduce the Injury by the number of successes you roll. (Injuries don't have Power tracks.) Other characters can make Recovery rolls to help you. This can be actual doctoring / first aid (for physical injuries), pep talks / encouragement for "social injuries," and so on. Successes reduce the severity of the Injury die for die.
+[I need a rule for temporary Descriptors becoming permanent]
+===== Refreshment Scenes =====
-- "Damage." The number of successes are applied directly to the opponent's Power track. Cross off the box equal to the number of successes - just that one box. If the box is already crossed off, cross off the next highest uncrossed box.
+Players call for refreshment scenes between scenes. You can get one whenever you want, between scenes, but you can't get one in the middle of a scene.
-When this happens (a "bump") the character gets a new "Injury Condition" equal to the number of the box that was crossed off.
+The Power track is fully restored by having a Refreshment scene with another character.
-A "Condition" is an Aspect. Describe whatever just happened to the character and note it on the character sheet. You can spend a Will point to Invoke it to your advantage, if it makes sense. Others can Invoke it against you if that makes sense. (Your Broken Ankle can help you get sympathy, but will get in the way if you try to run away!)
+Refreshment scenes also restore your Will if it has fallen below its starting value. If you have more Will than the starting value, you don't lose the extra Will.
-- "Maneuver." On your very next roll, you get to use all the successes from the Maneuver as bonus dice. (This costs a Will point. Think of the Maneuver as creating a 1-use Aspect for you to invoke on your next roll.)
+I like Eero's rule that when you have a refreshment scene you're letting your guard down. So you get to heal up whenever you want, but when you do the GM gets to escalate the situation.
-Maneuvers can be risky, though. If the Maneuver roll fails, the roll you were trying to set up may not happen at all!
+===== XP =====
-Since it costs a Will point to use the successes as bonus dice (paid after rolling the Maneuver), maybe failing a Maneuver roll should refresh you a will point, Lady Blackbird / The POOL style.
+XP comes from Keys, and is used to buy Advances.
-- "Effect." An "Effect" is just like an Aspect (in fact, it is one). Instead of using the successes right away on the very next roll, pay a point from your Pool to make them stick around as an Aspect of the setting, scene, or situation. The Effect lasts until it goes away naturally as a result of the fiction, or until someone does something to get rid of it. You, (and others, if it makes sense) can pay Will to Invoke the Effect on future rolls, just like usual.
+===== Keys ====
-You can apply Damage against an Effect to get rid of it; just reduce the Effect by the number of successes you roll (Effects don't have Power tracks; only people do!)
+There are two kinds of Keys:
-Since Conditions and Injuries are Aspects, you can get rid of them the normal way by spending Advances.
+Dramatic Key Framework: \\
+(Keys of this type describe dramatic motifs)\\
+\\
+XP - The dramatic issue is involved in a scene\\
+XP - The character encounters significant challenges related to the theme.\\
+XP - The motif progresses.\\
+Buyoff (10XP) - The theme is discarded from the game.\\
-As usual, this is all governed by fictional positioning. If you get cut up, the cuts will eventually heal and the Condition will go away on its own as game time passes.
+Motivation Key Framework: \\
+(Keys of this type describe psychology)\\
+\\
+XP - The character expresses the motivation\\
+XP - The character follows the motivation despite risk, personal cost, or other considerations\\
+Buyoff (10XP) - The character opts to let go of the trait represented by the Key\\
-If you're Ashamed and Embarrassed it might just evaporate when you start the next scene.
+===== Advances =====
-If your arm got cut off, it won't grow back (unless your'e an axolotl).
+Every 5 XP is an Advance.
-Once you get it down to 1 die it becomes a permanent feature of your character ("One-armed man") rather than an injury ("arm cut off 3D")
+You can spend your Advances right away, or save them.
-You can spend an advance to move it to your Background. You'll still only have one arm, but it won't cause you problems or give you advantages, mechanically.
+In general, it costs 1 Advance per die to change your character.
-Other characters can make Recovery rolls to help you. This can be actual doctoring / first aid (for physical injuries), pep talks / encouragement for "social injuries," and so on. Successes reduce the severity of the Injury die for die.
+So, 1 Advance can move a 1D Descriptor to your Background (or promote a Background to a 1D Descriptor), or promote a 1D Descriptor to 2D, or create a new 1D Descriptor out of thin air (well, out of fictional positioning). A new Key also costs 1 Advance.
-Penalty Dice -
+It costs 2 Advances to raise or lower a 2D Descriptor one die, 3 Advances to raise or lower a 3D Descriptor one die, and so on.
-Penalty dice come from Aspects being Invoked against your character. Whenever someone Invokes an Aspect against you to give you penalty dice, you get to add a point to your Will pool.
+You can spend an advance to move a 1D Descriptor to your Background.
-If person Invoking the aspect is a player, the point comes from that player's Will pool. If the person Invoking the aspect is the GM, the point doesn't come from anywhere, you just get one. (The GM has, effectively, an unlimited Will pool for this purpose.)
+===== Character Creation =====
-Penalty dice add to the opponent's pool.
+==== Game Design Wibble ====
-Power Track -
+One of my "best practices / favorite techniques" is that the natural language (fictional) description of a character and the mechanical description of that character should be mirrors of each other. I first learned how to do this from playing The Pool, where character creation is a little writing exercise (describe your character in exactly 50 words - not one word more or less) followed by underlining the important bits, extracting them, and rating them with dice, effectively rendering them what we nowadays call "freeform traits." The text of the Pool itself does not give you a lot of help in terms of effective use of this tool; beginning Pool players coming from a background of That Game or Vampire tend to produce characters that resemble lists of equipment and powerz. These days I find the exactly 50 words restriction to be overly fussy, but the underlying concept of creative constraint is really important. You do not want to write 5 pages of play-killing backstory (the way RISUS suggests you should), but you do need enough contextualizing information to clearly visualize the character and get them moving in the first scene. I also think it works better if you evolve the character by creating the backstory fiction and the mechanical description organically. Don't just write a backstory then translate it into numbers, or fill out a character sheet and then try to write a story to justify it. Go back and forth.
-The Power track is like temporary hit-points. It is fully restored by having a Refreshment scene with another character. Refreshment scenes also clear up any transient Conditions / Injuries / Effects that may be hanging around. (Your arm won't grow back, but you'll stop feeling Panicked!)
+==== Abilities ====
-I like Eero's rule that when you have a refreshment scene you're letting your guard down. So you get to heal up whenever you want, but when you do the GM gets to fuck with you.
+In this game, you have "Abilities," which are Descriptors. An Ability is not something super broad ("Strength" or "Intelligence"), nor is it something super specific ("Drawing with Crayons"). An Ability is about like a character class, or an AW playbook. Abilities are not chosen from a menu, but are invented by the player at character creation. Abilities define the arenas of conflict that the character will operate in. Think in terms of opposed actions - the character is, right now, acting at cross purposes with some other character. What sort of situation is it that makes you reach for the dice and roll this Ability?
-Players call for refreshment scenes between scenes. You can get one whenever you want, between scenes, but you can't get one in the middle of a scene.
+Your first ability is rated at 3 dice (Expert). Write  a couple three sentences that demonstrate, justify, or explain the ability by depicting a Significant Event in the character's life. Think of it like a teaser trailer for the character - we get to see them in motion, doing their thing, for the first time.
-Refreshment scenes also restore your Will pool, if it has fallen below its starting value. If you have more Will than the starting value, you don't lose the extra Will. (Or maybe Will just can't go over its maximum, which means if your Will is full, people can invoke Aspects against you for free.)
+Every character also has a Personal History, which describes their general lifestyle, place in the setting, and important life events. The Personal History provides context for the Significant Event that we saw a flash of earlier. How did the character get into that situation?
-In addition to triggering Injury Effects, the Power track also determines when you're knocked out of a confrontation. If the last (highest) box of the Power track is ever crossed off, you're out of the scene.
+In mechanical terms, the Personal History provides three abilities each rated at 2 dice (Competent).
-Gear -
+Next, the character's Cultural Identity is rated at 1 die (Mediocre). The Significant Event and Personal History are all about deeds. The Cultural Identity is about origin. Where did the character come from, in terms of family, tribe, class, religion, or whatever.
-Gear give you bonus dice or penalty dice depending on the scene. Gear probably doesn't give more than +/-3 dice.
+Eero says: characters are not fatherless pawns, but beings "with values, beliefs, social ties and a whole range of peculiarities drawn from the particulars of the setting."
-You don't pay or receive Will to use Gear; the dice simply apply.
+The Cultural Identity is used in play whenever the character wants to enter an arena of conflict that their other abilities seem unsuited for. If it makes sense that the character's Cultural Identity would give them at least a passing familiarity with whatever it is they're trying to do, they can roll 1 die, indicating a reliance on luck to get good results (unless they want to use other interesting parts of the system to improve their odds! 🙂 ). Otherwise, they're simply unable to compete in that contest.
-XP -
+If the player wants, specific Cultural Identity abilities may be enumerated (each rated at 1 die) before play begins.
-XP comes from Keys
+Also, during play, when Cultural Identity abilities come up as previously described, the player can add them to the character sheet, rated at 1 die. This is how you can add new abilities during play that can then be improved.
-There are two kinds of Keys:
+Background is the last Ability-related category. Backgrounds do not have ratings. They define arenas that the character is good at, but that the player specifically does not want to see in the game. They are activities that the character may in fact do at times, but this always happens offscreen (in the background!) and is unconnected from the emergent story. They are, therefore, sort of the opposite of Abilities.
-Dramatic Key Framework:
+In addition to abilities, each character has one general-purpose Descriptor (an "Aspect" in FATE terms) that can be anything the player wants. This is rated 2D.
- Keys of this type describe dramatic motifs
-XP - The dramatic issue is involved in a scene
+They also have three Connections. A Connection is an NPC that the character knows and is more or less friendly with. Each Connection owes the character a favor, or the character owes the Connection one.
-XP - The character encounters significant challenges related to the theme.
-XP - The motif progresses.
-Buyoff (10XP) - The theme is discarded from the game.
-Motivation Key Framework:
+Connections are what connect the PCs to the emergent story; when you create a Connection, you're creating an NPC relationship that will be important and might be featured right away in play.
- Keys of this type describe psychology
-XP - The character expresses the motivation
+Even though they have a special application, Connections are still Descriptors, and therefore can contribute dice to pools if it seems appropriate. (Basically, whenever the Connection is either present in the scene, or if the Connection is the focus of the conflict.)
-XP - The character follows the motivation despite risk, personal cost, or other considerations
-Buyoff (10XP) - The character opts to let go of the trait represented by the Key
-Every 5 XP is an Advance.
+I'm also importing Keys whole cloth from TSOY/SolarSystem. Literary characters are always a bit monomaniacal. A Key is something that the character just can't let go of, an attachment that requires them to act. In psychology speak, they are "captured" by it. Every Key has 2 or 3 specific actions that, when performed, net XP for the character. Each Key also has a "buyoff" condition, which nets a one-time jackpot of XP and removes the Key from the character. In this way characters can change and grow (and overcome their obsessions).
-You can spend your Advances right away, or save them.
+A beginning character starts with one Key, but characters can have more than one Key at a time.
-In general, it costs 1 Advance per die to change your character.
-So, 1 Advance can move a 1D Aspect to your Background (or promote a Background to a 1D Aspect), or promote a 1D Cultural Identity Ability to 2D, or create a new 1D Aspect out of thin air (well, out of fictional positioning). A new Key also costs 1 Advance.
+Each character has a Will pool (which starts at 9 for everyone, I think) and a Power track (which has 9 boxes on it for everyone, I think).
-It costs 2 Advances to raise or lower a 2D Aspect or Ability one die, 3 Advances to raise or lower a 3D Aspect or Ability one die, and so on.
+In summary, when play begins, each PC should have a backstory of at least 50, but not more than 100 words, which reflects their Abilities (One Expert (3d), three Competent (2d), and any number of Cultural Identity Abilities (1d)), one player-authored aspect and three Connections, one Key, a Pool of 9 Will points, and a 9-step Power track.
+Each character also starts with a number of Advancements (5 by default), which the player can immediately use to flesh out the character, or which can be saved to develop the character during play as the game unfolds.
-You can see why it's generally better to heal your wounds with First Aid than with Advances...

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