Just a tiny bit more The Ward stuff.
We were trying to figure out how to connect the player characters… not history, or trust, or bonds… and, the obvious jumped out at us “Connection!”… so, we’ve got a Cxn stat that works for when you’re messing around with, or helping!, other players. The form of the questions to get starting Cxn was cribbed directly from Vincent Baker ‘s changes to AW’s Hx… and have worked well in play!
Here’s a sample from two of the playbooks:
The Intern
List everyone else’s name as each player introduces their character, then go around again for Cxn.
On your turn, ask 1, 2, or all 3:
• Which one of you seems to have it in for me?
For that character, write Cxn-2.
• Which one of you is willing to mentor me?
For that character, write Cxn+3.
• Which one of you feels pity for me?
For that character, write Cxn+1
For everyone else write Cxn=0, you don’t know how everything fits together yet.
On the others’ turns, answer their questions as you like.
At the end, choose one of the characters with the lowest Cxn on your sheet. Ask that player, “What is my nickname?”
The Resident
List everyone else’s name as each player introduces their character then go around again for Cxn.
On your turn, ask 1, 2, or all 3:
• Which of you looks the healthiest?
For that character, write Cxn-1.
• Which one of you has been feeling under the weather?
For that character, write Cxn+2.
• Which one of you should I consider a rival?
For that character, write Cxn+2
For everyone else write Cxn+1, you know how things stand.
On the others’ turns, answer their questions as you like.
At the end, choose one of the characters with the lowest Hx on your sheet. Ask that player, “What is my nickname?”
I love the “nickname” detail.
Jerry Sköld yeah, that was something we suddenly just came up with, but it’s been a big hit.