Carta Galaxia Development Update #18
Very short update for this one. Just wanted to share the structure of the book.
(Usual caveats apply, this is in no way final, it is subject to change as writing progresses, yadda yadda yadda)
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Introduction
Campaign Design
• What is a campaign setting
• Aesthetic
• Abiding Truth
• Conflicting Truth
• Connect the Dots
• Variant Rules
Adding Characters
• Introducing Factions
• Creating Characters
• Base of Operations
Prompts and Jump Points
• Prompting
• Writing a Jump Point
• Example Jump Points
Running a Game
• Montages
• Exploring Worlds
• Exploring Relationships
• Running a Combat
• Starship Combat
• Wealth and Trade
Factions
• Debt System
• Faction Schemes
Example Campaign (Downloadable Package)
• Setting Overview
• Factions
• Jump Point
• Pre-Made Characters
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If there’s a topic that you’d like to see covered (“I have no idea how I’m supposed to handle x situation” or “I’d like more explanation about y”) please please please tell me. This is your chance.
What is abiding truth and conflicting truth?
Oh that. That’s part of a work-in-progress theory about campaign settings: An abiding truth is a lasting situation which shapes the narrative. A conflicting truth is the element of conflict that threatens the abiding truth.
The same abiding truth can have a different conflicting truth, which creates a very different set of expectations/tropes, and thus a very different campaign setting.
For example:
Abiding truth: Authoritarian peace and order is imposed across the galaxy with an iron fist.
Conflicting truth: Rebel cadres are arming themselves, preparing to strike.
Alternative conflicting truth: The undesirables have been pushed to the ragged edges of civilizes space.
One is Starwars, the other is Firefly. But in both cases, players will grok those juxtaposed statements and the expected stories that will emerge from there.
I am very interested in how to write a Jump Point. Making the right questions is not as easy as it might seem.
In the combat sections, I’d like to read several examples on how to modulate challenge and how to run encounters with more than just 1 roll.
Something I miss: some rules or advice on hand to hand challenges: grabbing something before someone else does, beating your rivals in a race or some other conflict that is not a straight fight. These scenes could be extended exhanges and they usually are the center of an adventure movie. Maybe just one roll is too little sometimes. If you can ellaborate on that, I’d appreciate it.
Non-starship vehicle combat?
This may pertain more to PbtA in general, but in that section on prompting, I could definitely use advice on leading / loaded questions. Heck, not just as it pertains to setting up, but also to scene framing in general. While I totally get the idea behind PbtA principles like “prompt the characters to shape reality,” in practice I don’t find that I’m great at it.
Though a lot of the guys I play with are very trad, and one has flat out said, (can’t remember exactly, but to the effect of) “I don’t like that style of me making things up. That’s the GM’s job. My job is to see through the eyes of my character.” Seems ironic to me as that guy is largely a gm and the only published game designer in the group…
my players have started saying they wish combat was more “meaty” as in the NPCs get to fight back and they don’t just get damaged because they didn’t roll high enough
Chad Jacobs, that goes a bit beyond the purview of Carta because it really changes the way combat is handled. That said, I’m definitely taking notes for Uncharted Worlds 2e.
Sean Gomes I understand that… And yes, a novel series would be awesome with the ideas you’ve had.
Taejas Kudva I’m about to run a UW game with a group of players much more used to a classic d&d structure and while they love helping me world build, they like answering prompts that are more connected to their characters, at least for now. Dungeon World’s approach is kind of a nice middle ground where you still have your story to tell but have a lot of holes to fill with player answers. It’s easy to adapt those kinds of prompts while still using the UW ruleset, and it might make the transition a but easier? Sorry about the ramble, I just know our group and me as a newbie dm found the SUPER open ended way jump points are structured as really intimidating.
Is a salivating “do want” enough feedback? =P I just posted about my concerns about running combats in Discussion (very recent purchaser here) so it’s nice that combat is addressed in the upcoming book!