[Ferals] A full "Fixform" Streed Rpg

[dindenver]

Cat,
 OK, I get "safety." Now, I think we are getting to the core of your design. I like to design games that make it easy for the players to know what they can and cannot do in the game, so I think I know what you mean.

 Well, the trick with this design choice comes down to being verbose and clear in rules writing. A good example of this that you might be familiar with is Stunting. White Wolf games have a system to inspire the players to try something cool called Stunting. If the player describes their character doing more than "I attack with martial arts rolling 10 dice," then they get to roll more dice. The idea is great. Incentivize players to add something to the shared space and story. But, the rules were written something like, "if the group thinks the description was cool, give them so many dice, and if someone says "Whoa" give them more dice." The problem with this is, it is really open to interpretation and a lot players didn't feel safe to try new things and many GMs didn't feel comfortable giving out dice or judging the descriptions, so it was implemented differently from GM to GM. In fact, in our own group one GM would penalize every single attempt at stunting and another just gave 2 dice for every stunt regardless of quality.
 So, just because you are making more of a traditional RPG, does not necessarily mean that the players will feel safer. There are more freeform games that give players that safe feeling. They are rare, but they are out there. The difference is that the rules require the GM and Player to both be on the same page and specify what players can and can't do when their turn comes up. I say this, not because I think you are doing it wrong, but to let you know that there is more than one way to get the desired effect you are going for.

 Finally, the point I am making about the numbers are that a single +1 means that the battle could be twice as long. And a huge bonus can make a character invulnerable. You said the invulnerability factor is fine (that's a design choice, you made it and I won't challenge you on it). But if a single +1 can double the length of the fight for average characters, maybe you need to really be careful about doling out bonuses and scaling them to fit the number of rounds you want fights to last. If these numbers sound right to you, then you are probably close. But as you add more traits and merits, you run the risk of blowing the system out, no?

 Either way, good luck with your game!

[Simon C]

Hi Katie,

It seems like we still don't understand each other.

It looks like you're having a good conversation here anyway, so I'm going to bow out.

Cheers,

Simon

[Catelf]

Ok, Simon, if that is how you feel, ... just so you know, i thought i was starting to understand you....  Oh well, guess i wasn't!

Dindenver. (Hope yout Game's going well, mine is going nowhere fast... currently.)

I "just" wrote i  Wasn't planning to allow any great Number of Modifiers, but your Point may be very important to me, once i manage to get through to making rules for Martial Arts Moves(and/or adapting WoD Combat and/or Streetfighter Storytelling Game for it).
.....
I have read at least a few of the Essays, and other Treads, so i thankfully know what you mean by wanting to plan the Rounds it may take before the fight or battle is over. ...However, i usually don't do that: It takes the time it does, to me.
(I don't bother about "Dysfunctional Dice", either. I can even let a villain start laughing if they see a Hero Botch & Fumble...)
But that is ME, ...... I DO see the point of not including Too many Boosts/Modifiers, it can easy make the game (too) cumbersome... or even (too) unbalanced.

I don't think i had any intention of adding more Traits & Merits, that would add further to Modifiers already given. It may, however, be a case of either/or, though(you can'r use your Caws, if you're holding a Sword, for instance..... Ok, maybe if you have a special Combat move, or such....).

The "Stunt" Mechanism... It hasn't looked the same throghout WW's history, obviously.
I have no intenton of promoting, nor discouraging "Stunts", my impression has become, that if you allow players to let them do "Unusual" actions as if they made "Regular" ones, (you might have to include an NPC to show the "way", though,) then it is possible to get a playing occasion filled with stunts and wierd action, even in the middle of a fight:

During a battle in a warehouse, a talking cat was scared/disgusted by a giant worm(yes!), and jumped into a hole in a wodden crate she saw, ending up inside the crate...(She couldn't stay there, though; its conents were white powder in small plastic bags...)
........