The Anomaly

[Kirk Mitchell]

Hello, I'm back (yet again) with another version of my game. The background setting has changed slightly, and I think it is starting to reach its final stages for playtesting. I'm working like a beaver on the rules, and a website with the rules should be up any day now.

For those unfamiliar with my concept, I'll give a quick synopsis and the piece of writing that I am working off:

It is today, or yesterday, or tomorrow. Whatever the date is, this is still a living hell. It has been an uncounted amount of time since these things came, these anomalies. They warp the world in ways that were not meant to be. And these creatures, these odd beings from the Nightscape, they perforate every corner of the globe now, twisting us "fleshies" as they call us. They feed on us, you know. They feed off our sanity, our belief, our spirit, our life-force, whatever you want to call it, and they exist. This is the most horrible thing about them, is that they exist! How can those abominations of un-nature exist in our carefully structured world? And they feed now, and we descend into savagery, killing them and each other at wild abandon. What can we do? What can they do?
There are no rules...

It is sometime around the present time, and a rift has opened between the worlds of human dreams, and the world of humanity itself. The beings that have come through the rift cannnot and should not exist in our carefully ordered reality. They come from the Nightscape, where dreams and nightmares are real, and the world changes at a whim. But here, everything stays the same, at least it did before the creatures now nicknamed "Oddits" came. With them came the anomalies, where the pure chaos of the Nightscape spills over into the Real World. This causes it to distort and flux, destroying all previous laws of reality that existed there, and simply CHANGING.

The Oddits, calling themselves Dumirik, live within the anomalies, unable to tolerate the structure of our world. But now, however, they have found a way out. They can now create their own localised anomalies by draining the sanity and belief of Humans, or "Fleshies", and using the energy to distort our world. Now, for the first time in ages, Fleshies and Oddits clash. Their own distinct societies coming into contact, to what end is uncertain, but one thing is for sure, all rules are about to be broken.

In Anomaly, you take control of either a Fleshy, or an Oddit, and with your Faction (read: party), you set out to make your way in the world. The game is designed to unveal the real humanity beneath our civilised cloaks, and as your character progresses, whether Fleshy or Oddit, all of their moral values will fall, and will descend into barbarity, or you will remain as civil as possible, and become hunted by your own kind.

The idea is to take the concept of The Lord of the Flies, and extrapolate on that. I am using a Tarot Card based mechanic, and will gladly reveal more, but I really have to rush out the door right now, so I will post back when the website is put up.

Would love some feedback on the concept,

Kirk

[Mike Holmes]

Anomaly? Seems an odd title. Makes me think "one small thing different in a sea of otherwise normal data". As opposed to "everything turned upside-down and inside out," which is what your game feels like to me.

Even "The Anomalies" would at least seem to refer to the creatures in question.

Mike

[garapata]

Reminds me of a mix between Clive Barker's approach to monsters (the monster is in the flesh) and Changeling The Dreaming's critters.

I'd love to hear more.

But yeah I agree, Anomaly is a weird name for this.

[Kirk Mitchell]

Well, what would you reccomend as a name? Anomaly seemed to fit well, but that is only me. I just want something that will be catchy to the eye.

The anomalies (as their names are for the moment), are not directly related to the Oddits, but they are bits of their world flooding into the real world.

Again, more feedback please.

Kirk

[Mike Holmes]

I am using a Tarot Card based mechanic, and will gladly reveal more, but I really have to rush out the door right now, so I will post back when the website is put up.

Still kinda waiting on this. Concepts are one thing, but how you implement them is the real key.

Mike

[ZeOtter]

Interesting idea, the first thing that jumped into my mind was man vs. his own nightmares.  What would happen to the world if humankinds collective nightmares decided to enter the real world?  

This game reminds me a lot of Torg: Role-Playing the Possibility Wars with a bit of Whispering Vault to boot.  I think you might have something interesting here, but I agree with everyone else it needs a better name.  I admit nothing leaps to mind right now but I will ponder it and see if anything springs up.

I feel that I have to write down a few points of critique I have with what you have written.  

First your description is a bit confusing your first paragraph describes the situation and the second paragraph re-explains the situation with slightly different details.  You are obviously are trying to paint a dark mood here, but you never really reveal how desperate the situation is.  

Second you say that the players can play either the "Fleshy's" or the "Oddit's" what happens if some of group want to play while others want to play the other?

You seem to want to talk a lot about the Oddit's but you from humanities point of view, would it better to focus your first book on humanities struggle against the Oddit's and maybe a supplement to cover players playing the Oddit's? It would help you keep your theme's focused first on the horror that humanity had to endure and how truly scary it is fighting nightmares come to life.  Then in the other the book the truely alien perspective of the Oddit's and what motivates a being to do things they do.

Also you should tighten up you writing style just a bit, there is nothing wrong with conveying atmosphere with description but try not to lay it on too thick, you haven't done this a lot but be careful how much you use it.

Well that is about it, I encourage you to keep going I think you really have a good setting on your hands.  If there is anyway I can help further please let me know.

[Kirk Mitchell]

Thanks ZeOtter. I was trying to convey a really dark atmosphere, but I am at a bit of a loss to get it really working. I think what I'll do is go to my inspiration (Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft), and try to emulate what they have done to get the atmosphere across. I'm not the best writer in the world so any help or tips in that area would be great.

Also, the name "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet...", but I really don't know what to do about it. I'll just let you guys think one up and leave it at that, because I also realise that it isn't quite right but can't think of anything to rectify it.

My Tarot Card based mechanic is based upon a framework that describes what each individual card represents in its ideas and actions, and using them to determine what actions the charactr can take and what effects they have.

Whenever a character enters a situation where they would like to take a certain type of action, a “delve” (as in delving into the possibilities) is begun. Determine first what characteristic is most relevant to the type of action that the player would like to take. Then “delve” onto the deck, draw as many cards as there are points in that characteristic. These are the action cards. The player then chooses a card that best represents the action that his character would like to take, depending on the card outlines above, and personal interpretation, though the Rift has final say in all of these matters.

Then, that card is removed, and placed in the “Past section” in front of the player. The other cards are shuffled back into the deck, and four cards are drawn, plus one for every applicable enigma, minus one for every enigma that directly inhibits the action. In the order that they were drawn, place down four of those cards, three of them next to the action card, in the “Now section”, and one next to them in the “Future section”. From this delve spread, the results of the action can be determined. Looking at the now section, the cards there represent the immediate effects and results of the action, what happened, how it affected those around the character, and how it affected the character him (or her) self. This is guided by the card's framework, and personal interpretation. The future section is then looked at, to give an idea of what effects the action might have in the future, either on characters or the environment. Remember, the Rift has final say in these matters.

A note, the GM in this game is known as the Rift.

My descriptions of the cards and their meanings in the game is a bit long, and I'm still working on that site, so if you want to read it, just say so, but otherwise I won't post it for fear of a massive posting that nobody will read.

I think I will (with great reluctance, as this has been an ongoing debate every time I have posted another version of this game), write the Human and Dumirik or "Fleshy" and "Oddit" sides as supplements, so choosing to play as one or the other will simply mean choosing one supplement or another.

Well, ZeOtter, thanks for the encouragement, and I look forwards to hearing from you all again (Hearing? I really need to have my ears checked, because nobody has said a word).

Kirk

[Mike Holmes]

Any design issues that you want to discuss?

Mike

[Kirk Mitchell]

Hmmm, design issues. Well, the layout has really been giving me problems, and I think my presentation (to say nothing about my writing style) really needs to be cleaned up, but thats more on the writing itself.

I would like to know what exactly you think about the Tarot card mechanic. How it fits the background material and whether you think it works or not and such.

I'm trying to work on a system that will encourage players to have their characters slowly degenerate and become more bestial and horrific. Has anyone read or seen Lord of the Flies (and I mean really read it, not just flicked through it in high-school)? This is sort of what I mean for the characters, through this ongoing stress their morals and ethics slowly desintegrate and they become little more than animals. I would like to know if anyone has heard of such a system (or something like it), and something like it how it could be implemented in my game with the current mechanic.

For the first book, I plan to focus on Humans, but I have this idea of a twisted and perverted type of humanity (much like it is now, but a bit more exaggerated). My view of humanity as a whole is not a very optimistic one, so I will probably portray them as unethical and horrible, before and after their slow degredation in different ways. Before their degredation, they are lying cheating faschist bastards, while afterwards, they are mere barbarians, butchering each other and worshipping their petty gods. An even worse fate is in store for those who actually remain a little bit human with ethics, as they will probably be hunted down by the others and killed. With this sort of ending in store, the objective of the game is just to create as good a story as you can before the end.

The second book, the Dumirik (or Oddits as they are nicknamed), will also be portrayed in a specific light, and dissected to reveal what they really are: physical manifestations of humanity's nightmares. Most will just follow their nature, but more interesting will probably be those who try to fight their true nature.

Either way you play, the ending is not going to be happy, whether you succeed or not, so the only goal is to make it as worthwhile as possible as you go along.

That was a bit of a ramble, but I just wanted to release a little (LITTLE!?!) more information on my background and my plans for the two books. Any thoughts on how they might be presented and any mechanics that might promote the kind of behavour that I want? Or will the very nature of the beings presented be enought to set players on the right track?

Thanks for the interest
Kirk

[Kirk Mitchell]

Heyah, I just finished the website (I finally got that stupid geocities website to let me make it! ;)), and most of the rules are on it. I wrote a 24 hour rules-set as best I could, but still need a bit of help with some of the mechanics. Have a look at the site and tell me what you think (of the rules, not of the site). The address is http://www.geocities.com/dumirik/nightscape.html

Thanks
Kirk

[Mike Holmes]

Just to be clear, I'll recap what I think the system is:
1. Player draws cards equal to appropriate stat.
2. Player selects one based on his desired outcome and places it into his "past"
3. Several more cards are drawn based on Enigmas.
4. Three are placed as "Now" cards, and one is placed as a "Future" card.
5. This "delve" is interpereted.

Loads of questions
Who decides what the appropriate stat for the character is?
What effect does the Past card have? It's not mentioned.
What if, due to Enigmas, there are less than 4 cards? More? Where do the excess go? Where are the shortfalls taken from?
Who interperets the Delve? All it says is that the Rift (GM) has the final say.

Lot's of IIEE issues here. Also, why does the character's ability seem to have so little effect on the outcome? One past card? If cards are neutral in their reading to start, then why do Enigmas give you extra cards, and Negative Enigmas subtract cards?

I'm all for systems like Everway in which you gaze at cards for inspiration, but I'm not sure how inspired I'd be by this. Minor arcana are listed as having more or less effect based on the number present. But I'm not seeing how someone is supposed to take that into account in the reading.

Maybe if you did a sample, it would make more sense.

Mike

[ZeOtter]

Sorry I had a very busy weekend.  

I am afraid that I haven't read the material on your website yet but I wanted to bring up a few points on the posts here before I do so.

Your background is a strong beginning but you what purpose are your players going to server in it, the players need a purpose and want to feel special.  Are they special or just part of the teaming masses?

You talk about how bad Humanity is and how dark and despair the situation the world is in, which is fine but you never talk about what is worth fighting for.  I am going on the assumption that the players are the "good guys" and trying to save something.  What is the something they are trying to save?  Gamers love the against all odds story angles but you need to give them some odds no matter how small that they can save the world, or whatever the main goal of players in game is.

I honestly am not getting a really good feel for your Tarot mechanics from the posts you have put up, I will read off the website and see if I can "get it" there.  I am much stronger at story and setting than mechanics to be honest so I don't know how much help I can be.

Oh, and don't be too hard on your writing it will come.  If you are still having problems get an editor, that is what I do.  a second pair of eye's are always good, and if possible try to find someone who has no idea what a role-playing game is.  If they can understand at least most of it you know you are in the clear  =)

I will be lurking on you posts waiting for what is next, good luck.

[Kirk Mitchell]

Hey.

Just to be clear, I'll recap what I think the system is:
1. Player draws cards equal to appropriate stat.
2. Player selects one based on his desired outcome and places it into his "past"
3. Several more cards are drawn based on Enigmas.
4. Three are placed as "Now" cards, and one is placed as a "Future" card.
5. This "delve" is interpereted.

The appropriat stat is decided by the player. The player decides what kind of action he or she would like to take, and decides the most appropriate stat for that action.

The card chosen is not the desired outcome, but the best representation of what the action being taken is. The past card has no real effect other than deciding what action is actually taken. This is taken into account when determining the immediate results of the action in the now cards, and what might possibly happen as a result of that action in the future card. The reason why it is in the past section is because the action has already happened, we are now determining how that action plays out.

That card is removed and the cards reshuffled. Then indeed they do draw new cards based upon the collection of enigmas the character has. Three are selected to be placed as now cards. The now cards are interpreted to decide the results of the action. The fourth card is interpreted as the future card, as a representation of what might possibly happen as a result of that action and its immediate results (the now cards).

why does the character's ability seem to have so little effect on the outcome?

I was aiming for a bit more freeform way of determining the outcomes of actions, however, since the actions that can be taken are determined by a random draw, the higher the rating in the applicable characteristic makes it more likely that the player will get the card that best represents the action that he wants to take.

What I think may be confusing everybody about the system is the description of the actions. They are physical or mental actions, but not mundane, such as leaping across a ravine. These actions are important, such as killing the high priest of Barburka, or betraying your corrupted faction to a secret ally. Any mundane action, unless completely improbable, is automatically successful. I was thinking about having a karmic system based upon the appropriate characteristic to determine the success of "win or lose" situations, such as whether you leap a gap between two huge buildings. What is the general consensus about that?

When you look at the cards drawn, look at their meanings. This should give you an idea of how they might be relevant to the situation. Taking into account their individual meanings, try to tie together all of the different cards and their meanings in the now section in relation to the attempted action. In doing this, narrate how the action turns out using the cards as a basis. The player who is undertaking the action does the interpreting and narrating, but the Rift has final say to prevent them from getting out of hand.

If there are less than four cards, the action fails completely and utterly. If there are more, only choose the four that you want.

The players are fighting possibly for what is right, but more important then that is that they are survivors, however, they must also watch their own moral decintigration. This is inevitable under these circumstances, so what starts out as a fight against those already "lost" soon turns inwards, in a fight against themselves. Players are faced with insurmountable odds in an attempt to break human nature and restore order. They can attempt this, and although they may not be able to make any noticable change in their (short) lives, if they can make enough of an impact on others it will set the world eventually on the right track. They could even (after they have finished the first campain and die or become miserable savages), play another campain as those they have had an impact on, and further the cause.

Well, dinner is about to be eaten without me, and I had better hurry to beat off the masses. Thanks for the help,
Kirk