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overheard_at_the_black_boar [2012/04/06 22:03] – [Initial Situation] Mike Holmesoverheard_at_the_black_boar [2025/03/12 22:05] (current) – [Fatiguing Dice] mike_holmes
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   * First round, before any player has taken their turn, "So, what brings you in here?"   * First round, before any player has taken their turn, "So, what brings you in here?"
   * "Who wants you to do that?"   * "Who wants you to do that?"
-  * "Is somebody in danger?"+  * "Is somebody in danger? What's at risk?"
   * "Why is it that they chose you for this job?"   * "Why is it that they chose you for this job?"
 +  * "What dangers stand in your way?"
   * "What do you all get out of this?"   * "What do you all get out of this?"
  
 +The GM can ask any but the first question in any order, or change the questions in an attempt to help get the players to establish several facts that must be known before they can leave the tavern. 
 +
 +
 +==== Leaving the Tavern =====
 +
 +The players may not leave the tavern to deal with their quest until they have answered the following questions:
 +
 +  * The overall threat
 +  * Who wants the threat taken care of
 +  * Why the PCs care as a group
 +  * Why the PCs care, individually - note that a player may decide not to reveal his character's personal motive to the other players, and instead let the GM know privately
 +  * What at least two of the known dangers are
 +
 +The GM should record the answers to these on his quest tracking sheet. He keeps on having the barkeep ask leading questions until the players have determined all of the above required facts. 
 +
 +==== Rounds ====
 +
 +The narrations in the Tavern occur over rounds of drinks, during which each PC will get a chance to speak. There is no turn order to this, players just speak back and forth as in any normal conversation. Each round, the player can tell a tale to reveal an ability once (see Telling Tales below), and any number of obstacles may be created. The round ends when each player feels that their character has had their say. Generally players are trying to come up with their goals in response to the Barkeep's questions, so that they can get on with their adventure. Though they may decide to prolong things, too, so that they have more chances to tell tales. 
 +
 +=== Opposition Dice ===
 +
 +The longer the characters loligag around in the tavern, the more time the opposition has to plan or for the dangers involved to get worse. Time is of the essence! At the end of the first round, the GM gets a d4 for the opposition bonus pool. At the end of the next round it becomes a d6. A d8 at the end of the third. And so on until it becomes a d12. If they characters still haven't gotten out of the Tavern when there's a d12 in the pool, then the GM gets another d4 at the end of the round, and this then starts to increase as before, one die size per round. This process continues until the character's leave the tavern to go on their quest. 
 ====== Character Abilities ====== ====== Character Abilities ======
  
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 Each ability will have a name and a die rating. Each ability will have a name and a die rating.
  
-===== Gaining Abilities =====+Players reveal character abilities by "Telling Tales"...
  
-A player may, at any time, narrate something about his character's abilities. Perhaps they brag about them, or they can just think a thought regarding them; just so long as we get an idea of what the ability is. This narration must be linked to something in the game world that they create on the spot. When done with the narration, the player announces a name for the ability, and selects another player to judge who assigns a rating to the ability. +===== Telling Tales ===== 
 + 
 +A player may, at any time, narrate something about his character's abilities. Perhaps they brag about them, mention it offhandedly in passing, mention the ability with regards to something else, or they can just think a thought regarding the ability; any sort of in-game narration works so long as we get an idea of what the ability is. This narration should optimally be linked to something in the game world that they create on the spot. It may also be linked to something else that has been created by prior tellings of tales. When done with the narration, the player announces a name for the ability, and selects another player to judge who assigns a rating to the ability. This triggers the judging of the ability by that player. 
  
 ==== Selecting a Judge ==== ==== Selecting a Judge ====
  
 The narrating player may select any other player to be judge (including the GM), but may want to consider the dice that player has left to give. If a player doesn't have a high die in their pool, they can't give you one. Players may offer to be judge, even jumping ahead to doing a very fast judging (see below), and stating what die they're offering the player. This can often streamline the process quite a bit. If somebody offers a die, and the player accepts it, then the ability is written on the character sheet as it was stated, and the die of the ability that was assigned is noted.  The narrating player may select any other player to be judge (including the GM), but may want to consider the dice that player has left to give. If a player doesn't have a high die in their pool, they can't give you one. Players may offer to be judge, even jumping ahead to doing a very fast judging (see below), and stating what die they're offering the player. This can often streamline the process quite a bit. If somebody offers a die, and the player accepts it, then the ability is written on the character sheet as it was stated, and the die of the ability that was assigned is noted. 
 +
 +If a player runs out of dice in their pool, they may no longer be selected as a judge. 
  
 ==== Judging Narrations ==== ==== Judging Narrations ====
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 If the judging player finds the narration to be completely preposterous or uninteresting, they may refuse to give a die at all, in which case the player being judged may retract their narration completely... though this is likely rare. Players typically do a reasonable job with narrations. This rule exists just to inform the player that they can't toss garbage into the game and expect to be rewarded for it.  If the judging player finds the narration to be completely preposterous or uninteresting, they may refuse to give a die at all, in which case the player being judged may retract their narration completely... though this is likely rare. Players typically do a reasonable job with narrations. This rule exists just to inform the player that they can't toss garbage into the game and expect to be rewarded for it. 
 +
 +If this happens, the narrating player may refuse to retract their character's statement; but in this case, they don't have proof of the setting details, and they may turn out to be a fabrication, or misunderstanding at the GM's option. 
  
 === Negotiation === === Negotiation ===
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 ====== Contradictions ======  ====== Contradictions ====== 
  
-The GM may decide that he'd prefer for something already established as fact by character narration, but not actually verified in play through experience, is incorrect in part or in whole. This is often done to spring surprises on the PCs. When the GM does this, they must award one of the dice in their pool to the player who established the fact, any die he prefers. If the GM is out of dice, this is not an option. +The GM may decide that he'd prefer for something stated by characters telling tales, but not actually verified in play through scenes describing the experience, is incorrect in part or in whole. This is often done to spring surprises on the PCs. When the GM does this, they must award one of the dice in their pool to the player who established the fact, any die he prefers. If the GM is out of dice, this is not an option.  
 + 
 +====== Resolution ====== 
 + 
 +Generally works like my other Chronica hacks, including concessions.  
 +===== Fatiguing Dice ====== 
 + 
 +You can narrate doing something extra hard to get a re-roll of a die. This causes the die to temporarily go down by one die type. A d4 goes to a d0, and cannot be used until rested.  
 + 
 +A player can also fatigue a die to roll it when it would not otherwise be part of a contest, by narrating circumstances of how it applies in this case with the character expending effort to make it applicable. 
 + 
 +===== Risking Dice ===== 
 + 
 +A player may burn a die at any time to win a contest. The player has to narrate very desperate action, and rolls the die. If the result would have been a failure, the results of the action are narrated in a way that describes how the ability is permanently lost.   
 + 
 +===== Momentum =====  
 + 
 +The quest has a momentum to it that's interrupted if the characters take too much time doing things unrelated directly to it's success. Morale goes up with success, and then falls when the goal is not in sight. This is represented by a momentum die.  
 + 
 +After facing one danger this die becomes a d4 that can be used in any roll. After the second, it goes to d6. And so on and so forth, just like opposition dice. If the party stops to rest, for every rest taken, the momentum die goes down by one. This also happens if he party decides to take a detour for any reason. 
  
 ====== Sequels ====== ====== Sequels ======
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 If all players retire, then the game is over until a new batch of adventurous souls appears at the Black Boar.  If all players retire, then the game is over until a new batch of adventurous souls appears at the Black Boar. 
 +
 +====== Notes ======
 +
 +Confessional-like mechanic? Players tagging other players?
 +
 +Other things to throw at the players than just standard dangers? Other than distractions?
 +
 +How to give setting details impact?
 +
 +Fake abilities... the character bragged about an ability, but it turns out that they were exaggerating, or making it up completely. What happens to the die? 
overheard_at_the_black_boar.1333775032.txt.gz · Last modified: 2012/04/06 22:03 by Mike Holmes

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