There and Back (a Meta-system) - idea from "Cheating Death"

[Clinton R. Nixon]

Inspired by the ideas on the "Cheating Death" thread, I whipped this out. I'd actually incorporate this into a larger system that determined character resolution as well, but as is, it's a metasystem to allow players to stay involved even after the death of their character.

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There and Back
A Meta-system

Set up

All players start with 10 Story Points at the beginning of a campaign. The game being played does not matter (although someone might want to check to make sure nothing about the game conflicts with these rules.)

All players also start with one character. There is not a set GM for the game, so everyone involved makes a character.

Running a game

At the beginning of each session, anyone who wants to run the next game may bid to do so. The minimum bid for this is 5 Story Points. If more than one person bids, the players can bid off - that is, increase their bid - until only one player remains. This player is the GM for the session, although his character may be present. (This is not required, however.)

At any point during the game, another player may bid to run a scene. This scene will pick up exactly where the other player left off, allowing the new GM to change the outcome of the current scene. The minimum bid to run a scene is 2 Story Points. Other players (including the current GM) may bid against this, raising bids until only one player remains. This player then runs a scene.

Rules for a scene are:
1. It can only emcompass one general area or theme. Your scene, for example, could not include a large fight with lizardmen below the earth, and then a flight across the desert sands. It could include the large fight and what you find afterwards (the spoils of the fight).
2. A scene should not go past 15 minutes of real time. If it does, the GM for the session can cut it off.

All actions in the game are determined by the game's normal resolution system, including character death. However, character death does not result in the loss of the player. Instead, that player can still bid for sessions and scenes. His character may come back in those scenes if they are flashbacks to a time before the character's death. In fact, these scenes can change the current timeline as long as they do not directly contradict an action that has already occured. For example, someone could initiate a scene where he gave his magical dagger to his best friend a day before he died. He could not initiate this scene, though, if he died wielding the dagger in combat, as this would be contradictory.

A player may even run a scenario or scene that brings his character back from the dead, as long as it does not contradict the rules of the game the group is playing.

More characters

A player may bring a new player character into his portfolio during any scenario or scene he controls. The cost for this is only 1 Story Point. This character is permanent. However, each player may only have one character present per session, including the GM for the session.

Getting more Story Points

At the end of each scene run by a player, each player votes on the score. This can be any number from 1 to 4. The median (not mean) number is the number of Story Points the player receives. (For example, if the votes were 1, 2, 2, 4, 5, the player would receive 2 points.)

At the end of each session run by a player, each player votes on the score. This can be any number from 1 to 10. The median number is the number of Story Points the player receives.

These votes should be written on scraps of paper and handed to the player receiving the points, who will then tabulate.

[Dave Versace]

Clinton

I really like this idea, and I think my players will too, depending on what system it's attached to - something rules-lite makes the most sense for my group...Oh, but my run-on sentence digresses.

I have a question: what was your thinking behind the 15 minute scene limit. Was it purely a "keep things moving along" mechanic or is there some established theory that applies?

Dave

[Clinton R. Nixon]

I put it there as a sort of precaution - I'm afraid an overzealous player might bid for a scene and keep that scene going for the rest of the game. The 15 minute limit isn't a hard, fast limit - it's just that the scenario GM can stop the player after 15 minutes if he gets out of hand or worrisome.