Been working on a PbtA-esque game. The setting is an a high fantasy however gritty world where the mortality stakes are as high as the fantasy elements. Players create characters on the path to becoming legendary heroes where they face legendary beasts/villains. Sort of classic fantasy with the ever present fear of death one felt back in the day playing AD&D or more recently any RR Martin reader feels for any character from SoI&F. And would like to get some feedback on a couple things:
I wanted to create a character record sheet unlike a specific set of playbooks. The player at character creation would use a point gen mechanic I’m working up to assign stat mods, purchase starting moves, and choose a background and/or archetype that offers a multiple choice list of narrative benefits or hindrances. Then as the character develops (like achieving an advancement) the player earns points rather than choosing a single option from a list of advancements, using or pooling the points on the various moves or modifiers, or narrative improvements from the same lists used to create the character.
Then I was thinking about adapting/modifying a mechanic for conflicts similar to momentum from WWW, Fate Points from FATE, Action or Force Points, etc. Wherein players and the GM gain said points during a conflict scene (combat, social “combat”) and can use them to activate “moves” for bonuses, narrative advantages, and the like.
And lastly, utilizing a system for harm wherein PCs have a number of health levels and a number of “stress” or “shock” not completely unlike Stress from Blades in the Dark but mechanically the two are coincide; the character has a damage threshold and when that is threatened by a single “attack” the player rolls to determine whether or not the character suffers from shock. If the roll succeeds the character takes damage as normal and marks a level of stress. If failed, the character suffers from shock – player chooses an option from a short list of how the character suffers the trauma. Each time the threshold is threatened the character marks a level of stress, once maxed out – shock/trauma.
There’d be a move to increase the threshold, one that perhaps grants a bonus to succeed a roll vs shock, and perhaps a use of an action point that may mitigate in favor of the character as well.
Been typing a lot of it up and it’s nearly ready for a play test with my table but thought I’d get some feed back from anyone on any potential pitfalls I may run into that would need addressing. I’ll post updates as I go and address any other issues or improvements I come up with. MUCH APPRECIATED. Thanks.
(Marked for later reading)
How easy is it for a character to get caught in a death spiral of harm and shock?
Todd Zircher I considered this for some time now and will let you know for certain once we play test. But conceptually the failsafe against the death spiral is the “action point” mechanic. However, I imagine the issue would certainly arise if the damage threshold on average is too low.
I think on average damage suffered I most PBTA games is 2 unmodified. So if a PC begins play with a 2 damage threshold it may be a common roll in the beginning. But with the ability to purchase a move granting a bonus to either/or the threshold or roll to save, I don’t think it’ll be that big an issue.
Listening.
I also do programming, game design, assorted video games, actual play podcasting, and 3d modelling. I have a finger in a lot of hobbies. 🙂
I’ve been typing up as much as I can and once I have a barebones Doc I’ll post a link to my google drive.
Update on some other features:
Character growth advances as they complete “heroic tasks” which would be similar to “mysteries” from Monster of the Week or stereotypical “quests” of other games – these would be generated by the GM for the sessions. Completing a heroic task grants a PC a point of Legend (like experience points) as well as any legend points awarded at the end of a session. When the character fills the Legend bar it resets, they increase in “Prestige,” and are awarded a 4 Character Points in order to purchase additional moves, stat mods, and so forth.
There is a standard move that requires expenditure of a point of legend to activate that offers a variety of options based on level of success on 2d6 roll (choose 2 or choose 1 mechanically.) The options range from gaining additional Action Points for the scene, removing a hindering condition, healing health levels, removing stress levels, and the like.
The concept is that as long as the PC is pushing the narrative forward in completing heroic tasks and the fact that you’ll always receives minimum of 1 legend at the end of a session that when the player finds themselves in a tough spot they’ll be more inclined to burn a point in legend as an investment for more in return and it won’t slow the progression of character growth.
Thoughts?