Blade Tongue (short game)

[Callan S.]

I've never been a man into settings, thus this is dry in that regard. It's a procedure fixed design, in the way most board games are (or if I may compare myself, capes and some other indie games are) - it isn't part of play to figure out what part of procedure to use next. The inclusion of an SIS is quite - how to put it? Bottlenecked? Again it's really a case of procedure deciding the SIS's use rather than the other way around. I guess I'm describing this like one might the tech specs of a car, cause this is the machine I'm making.

It's a short game - it's really designed to be used amongst a bunch of other short/mini games, rather than as a component of one larger game. Anyway, that's how I was going to use it on a play by post forum.

On to the actual challenge, and it's a gamist challenge to be sure: GM fiat - often you hear 'that's just GM fiat'. I think fiat isn't impossible to play, it's just often incredibly hard to play - like base jumping or other extreme sports are hard. This design waters it down, you might think in the same way you might add a mixer to a shot of whiskey rather than take it neat. Actually it has both a watered down challenge and a fairly 'neat' game - you can see the difference by how much the GM's call can be used to effect each outcome.

I'm not sure what to ask about it - from what I've posted before it seemed to fail the expectations of many a forge poster. So I guess I'll ask - is it effective, or if it fails you, does it fail really well or just in a wishy washy way? Seriously getting perspective is hard, so a basic question is whether the procedure is complete. Then whether it needs more information in various parts so informed usage is likely to occur. Or hell, I'll just see what happens and then work up questions from there (pretend my post count is about three, heh!)

With no further ado!

Blade Tongue
You have 10 HP
Your punches do 1D4-1 damage.

Sequence of play
There will be a description of an very important person (VIP) in town. He must be negotiated with or convinced to lend his special resources, as the entire town is in jepardy if he does not help!

1. Your character will be described as meeting him and negotiations will begin. You make your address to him/her, in an attempt to win this issue. The GM then rates your address, deciding on a bonus that ranges between 0 and 50% (note: not all of this bonus is used for all results). Also the GM may give a safety bonus of 5% (it's either 5% or no bonus given, no gradient in between).

2. Rolling an address
Roll percentile, then check if the roll was equal to or lower than one or more of the following
10% + full GM bonus - Convincing : The VIP has come a step closer to being utterly convinced, add 1 to his convinced score.
NOTE: When you get a convincing result and you don't have the daring to try to convince him, you can instead instead of increasing his convinced score, increase his negotiated score by one point.

60% + only part of the GM bonus, up to 20% (if your bonus is higher than 20%, ignore it and just add 20% onto the base chance of 60%) - Negotiating : The VIP has given some some ground on the issue, add 1 to his negotiated score.

85% + GM safety bonus -No Violence Yet - if you roll under this, no violence erupts. If you roll over, things have turned ugly! The VIP tires of your talk, either sending a thug over to shut you up while he watches, or the VIP walks away and one of his goons takes it upon himself to pummel you. Thugs have 5 HP to lose before they fall on the ground in a weeping mess. Their punches do 1D4-1 each. Take turns throwing punches, player goes first. If the player runs out of HP first, he's knocked out of the game and the negotiations have failed! HP do not recover after fist fights.

Once a fight is over, you can continue and pursue the VIP to reengage him. Go to step 3.

3. The GM plays out the VIP's responce. You then return to step one until you have negotiated successfully (or perhaps you'll convince him??) or you are knocked out.

The VIP has two scores: Negotiated Score & Convinced Score

You need 3 points in Negotiated in order to win. Or you can take on the greater goal, which is to utterly convince the VIP - this requires 3 points in Convinced.

Return to step 1 until you have the required scores and win, or are knocked out!!!

[Willow]

So, have you actually played this, or just mulled it over?  In your experiences, is it enjoyable?  What do the player and the GM tend to do, as players, when playing?

[Callan S.]

I hadn't posted it as a challenge to anyone yet, so no play (did post it here, just today).

I've no idea if play itself is enjoyable - I imagine marathon runners don't enjoy every bit of a run. I don't think it'd be as arduous as that though. Really, rather than play being enjoyable itself, the person should have a taste for winning. That's the enjoyable part - if you find winning enjoyable, that is.

I don't understand the last question - what players and GM do, procedurally, are in the instructions. What the player does to attempt a win, I don't know - that's the big surprise to come. As with the GM, well I guess I could have listed a VIP - I just didn't feel jazzed to without some interest from other people, for some reason.

Actually on that not being jazzed, does that jog anything in anyones mind here? I'm curious about why that's there.