Son of Iron Game Chef!

xiombarg · April 18, 2004, 03:01:00 AM

Children of the North:
Assault on the Frozen Isle of the Lich-Lord

For years, periodically, the Lich-Lord has been sending waves and waves of undead into civilized lands. Every century or so, he is beat back, only to come back with a new army of undead every century or so. So it has been for time immorial.

However, despite the setbacks that this situation has caused, civilization has become more and more sophisticated over time, and several great civilizations have clawed their way into the light. And this time, they're taking the fight back to the Lich-Lord.

Normally, the glaciers surrounding the Isle of the Lich-Lord have prevented ships from getting close enough to do anything to the Lich-Lord. His own armies just walk on the ocean floor. But recent innovations in fire-magic has made the invasion possible.

The combined might of several civilizations is involved in this assault -- mass armies, all co-ordinating.

You, a great hero, have been chosen by your culture to be part of a special strike team. It is your job, along with other heros chosen by their respective cultures, to find and destroy the Lich-King himself.

This has been made complicated by an unusual discovery: The Isle of the Lich-King has a living population. These people love their undead king, and gladly give their dead up to him, in return for the protections of his magic. Though the Lich-King's necromancy and other magics, the "Children of the North" (as they call themselves) have a utopian society, with very little conflict and a high quality of living, dedicated mostly to producing brilliant works of art.

The Children of the North generally disapprove of the Lich-King's periodic invasions in principle, but given everything the Lich-King has given them, they feel they cannot argue with his one "eccentricity". They admit to being surprised that there are anyone living south of them at all...

Character Generation

You must be able to describe your character -- and his culture -- in a single sentence with a minimal number of clauses and conjunctions. Examples:

"Quetzal is a powerful shaman from a Aztec-like culture."
"T'kask is a technically adept insectiod being from a culture not unlike idealized Communism."
"Thor is a strong, hammer-wielding hero from a Nordic culture."
"Grunk is an orc, whose culture is not unlike that of Star Trek's Klingons."

No PC can be from the same culture. If two people want to play more or less the same thing (as judged by the GM and the majority of other players), neither can play that concept. All the players and the GM have to understand the concept instantly and easily. For example, if someone hasn't heard of Star Trek, then the above orcish concept is not allowed.

After picking your character concept, your character must pick a Number from 1-10. This determines how good or evil the character is. More "good" characters have a lower number -- a character with a 1 is very good, and a character with a 10 is very evil, though "civilized" enough that the other cultures are willing to work with the character so long as the war is on.

Because of the nature of the enemy, if a character is necromantic or undead in any fashion, his number must be 5 or lower. Any "evil" necromantic culture would have been wiped out by the others as possibly too close to the Lich-King.

Task Resolution

The characters are protagonists. Any task that an average person can do with a little difficulty (GM call), a PC automatically succeeds at it.

Whenever the character attempts something that is more than moderately difficult, all the players (except the one involved) and the GM must vote whether the action is "Good", "Evil", or "Neutral". The majority rules -- the GM breaks ties. "Neutral" should be reserved for tasks that are truely value-neutral, like scaling icy cliffs or avoiding hypothermia.

(A simple thumbs up (good), thumbs down (evil) or fist (neutral) on a count of three can greatly speed up the voting process.)

If the action is "Evil", the player must roll less than their Number on 1d10 to succeed. If the action is "Good", the player must roll higher than their Number on 1d10.

If the action is "Neutral", use the most favorable roll. That is, characters with a Number of 6 or higher must roll lower than their Number, while characters with a Number of 5 or less must roll higher than their Number.

If a player rolls exactly equal to his character's Number, the action succeeds if it is in line with the character concept (i.e. if the Aztec shaman is doing something with the spirits, or if the Nordic charcter is doing something brave) in the opinion of the GM.

The GM never rolls -- most of the time, dodging or whatnot is a "Neutral" action, but that's up to the players.

As far as combat goes, if a character hits, they generally kill, if that's what they're aiming for. Even if the victim is the Lich-King.

If a character is hurt, the GM can lower the bar in terms of what is difficult enough to require a roll. Characters do not die -- eventually, they will succeed against the Lich-King.

If characters move against each other, both get to roll -- one to do something to the other, the other to resist. Yes, this probably means there will be a lot of "misses". Heros are supposed to argue, but not fight, given there is a common enemy.

Character Development

Every day, at dawn, the player can adjust his character's Number up or down by 1, but has to start playing the character that way. As before, max is 10 and you cannot go below 1.

The GM and Other Authors

The GM narrates successes. The player narrates failures. Exception: When player characters confict, the GM describes all results.

The GM is supposed to try to make the journey to the Lich-King as frought with ethical issues and cultural conflict as possible.

At any point, a player can suggest a detail to add to the game -- even a conflict -- so long as it doesn't contradict what has gone before. If the majority of the other players (with the GM as tiebreaker) agree, the detail in question becomes "reality" for the game.

The question this game is meant to explore is: What is good? What is evil? Where are the grey areas?

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Inspiration comes from Garbanzo's Ethos (formerly Ashen) and Ron's Trollbabe, obviously, not to mention Clinton's Donjon.

dalek_of_god · April 18, 2004, 03:16:13 AM

Thanks for the positive feedback Eero! You really seem to be going out of your way to let people know you appreciate their effort. You're certainly right about this being a difficult choice for Mike Holmes. There must be thirty games posted right now - all of them unique. This is really a great way to generate a lot of interesting ideas.

JamesSterrett · April 18, 2004, 03:43:15 AM

Is the deadline the end-of-Sunday (the 18th), or the end-of-Monday (the 19th)?

Bob McNamee · April 18, 2004, 04:03:53 AM

Quote from: JamesSterrettIs the deadline the end-of-Sunday (the 18th), or the end-of-Monday (the 19th)?

from the first post in the thread...

QuoteThese are the rules:

Submissions to this contest must be made no later than 11:59 PM CDT on April 19th, 2003. If you're not sure when that is, post early. In fact you may want to post early so that you don't get messed up by server death as all are posted at the last minute (not to mention being in early can be a good tactic).

[snipped extra]

Asrogoth · April 18, 2004, 04:29:04 AM

Quote from: dalek_of_godThanks for the positive feedback Eero! You really seem to be going out of your way to let people know you appreciate their effort. You're certainly right about this being a difficult choice for Mike Holmes. There must be thirty games posted right now - all of them unique. This is really a great way to generate a lot of interesting ideas.

I should be spending my time on God Lore, but I thought I'd do a quick "count" of games mentioned so far.

We have a total of 35 games mentioned so far, with not all of them complete and some only sketches of ideas. And you're right. I can't imagine the difficulty in choosing through some of these. I REALLY like Seadog Tuxedo (damn penguins always getting in my way!) and Frigid Bitch (Sleeping Beauty with a shotgun!). I apologize for not mentioning more by name, but I'm gonna go try and work on my game some more so that I can at least say I tried. ;)

By the way, Chairman Holmes-san, do Mac users get extra style points?

Asrogoth · April 18, 2004, 05:15:59 AM

EEEAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pant, Pant, Pant...]

I keep thinking I'm almost finished... I'm almost done...

Then, from the depths I hear a call... I hear the Immortals crying for their exploits to be told, for their deeds to be known, but I fear I am not worthy of perfecting the task.

"WRITE!" they say... the words echo through my soul, but I fear them, for they are larger than I.... What shall I do? How can I make the deadline for this momentous task????

"Fear not young mortal," the deities comfort, "your work for this test need not be perfect -- but that's no excuse. Get back to work!!!!"

Asrogoth · April 18, 2004, 08:02:06 AM

Okay all, I'm finalizing everything as it is and am nearly done, so I'll go ahead and post part one of my slightly revised version of my game. Please disregard my previous posts as "authoritative" in regards to this game; although I haven't changed much, some things that have changed provide a slight shift in paradigm. Without further adieu, here we go!

God Lore: The Chronicles of the Immortals
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PART ONE

Introduction

Spawned from the essence of the Ancient One, you find yourself, an Immortal, blessed with the powers of the gods and born with the mandate to take part in the monitoring and control of all things. Your existence demands you to influence reality and perpetuate your own supremacy.

In order to do your duty, you have been given the power of the Life Force, the basis of life itself, the power behind the elements.

These elements -- Dawn, Ice, Island and Breath -- combine in your being, all of which you use to control the very nature of the universe.

Dawn: the power of birth, the blazing sun and the warming fire

Ice: the solid essence of life-nurturing water, and the freezing death of the chill

Island: the soil and rock that stabilize the world and support plant and animal life

Breath: bears the evidence of the Life Force, the Winds of Time and the Vacuum of Space

Together, the Immortals and the Chronicler will journey through a story of accomplishment and feats where Creation is bound and unbound, where Life is made and destroyed, where gods die and are reborn.

Plunge into the mysteries of the gods, while sipping the nectar of Ambrosia and living their stories, dreaming their dreams, bearing their hopes and knowing their fears.

Now is the time of legends lived. Now the God Lore is spoken. Now the Chronicles of the Immortals are made known!

Required Items

To play this game you will need the following:

M&M Candies (plain, peanut, almond or crunchy -- it's up to you!) or similar. Important note: you need five different colors!

One refreshing drink of your choice (Dr. Pepper, cream soda, beer, wine, milk, water, etc. By the way, you can have as many drinks as you want, but you need at least one.)
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The Four Influences

In the Universe, four Influences form the elemental make-up of all things. These Influences are powered by the Life Force. Every Immortal commands the use of all four Influences to varying degrees. Furthermore, each Immortal has a primary Influence which usually helps her determine her patronage.

These four Influences are Dawn, Ice, Island and Breath. All four are represented to greater or lesser degrees throughout the Universe.

Dawn is the force of fire and birth. The Immortals that choose Dawn as primary tend to be hot tempered and vibrant, full of life and quick-tempered. They generally choose to be patrons of such things as the hearth, the passionate embrace, or the most powerful, the Sun.

Ice is the force of water and cold. Without Ice life cannot survive, heat would destroy all, and everything would dehydrate. Immortals who control Ice tend to be very calculating and circumspect. They rarely let their emotions get the best of them and usually rely on their cunning to guide mortals into the Immortals' desired paths. Patrons of Ice Influence choose things such as fish, the morning dew or at the highest levels, rain.

Island is the power of the earth. Island-specialized Immortals are very "warm"-hearted and remain calm under pressure. Very little can shake their resolve, but they tend to recognize times when emotions are needed in order to manipulate mortals and facilitate their agendas. These Immortals tend to choose the dust, plants or even the Earth itself as their patronages.

Breath is the Influence of Air and Lightning. It is the imaging of the Life Force and Time. Mortals require Breath to maintain their life and to advance. Immortals with primacy in Breath tend to be very quick-witted, skilled in the intricacies of socialization and are very adept at persuasion. They frequently stir up crowds of mortals in frenzies through their words without revealing their godliness simply out of enjoyment. These Immortals tend to choose patronages over things such as hiccups, breezes, or even the atmosphere.

Life Force

Life Force is the power that is an Immortal's existence. When an Immortal is "born", he is granted the power of Influence through using his Life Force. This power defines the types and amount of influence he is granted. The Immortal has Thirteen (13) Influence Points (Influence Point) to spread between his four Influences (Dawn, Island, Ice and Breath). He must have a minimum of one Influence Point in each Influence and must choose a primary Influence which must have the highest (or tied for highest) Influence Point devoted to it. As the character develops and matures, he will eventually gain more Influence Points. As he gains Influence Points, his Life Force will rise. Life Force is determined (after character creation) by totaling the number of Influence Points.

If an Immortal's Life Force ever reaches zero, the Immortal is considered to be unavailable for play with his Life Force dissipated into the ether of time. The player may retire the character, or if other players are amenable, they may attempt to resurrect the deity by spending their own Influence Points to bring the "dead" Immortal back to life -- this requires a number of Influence Points equal to the "dead" Immortal's normal Life Force.

Character Generation

"The Birthing"

Out of the mind of the Ancient One springs the Life Force, the ultimate power in the Universe which can be harnessed by the Immortals to effect change within the skein of reality. These threads are woven using the four Influences of Dawn, Island, Ice and Breath.

In the "Forever" outside of Time, the Ancient One calls forth new beings from the Life Force to monitor and guide the multitudes and facets of Creation. These beings, eternally called to pursue the will of the Ancient One, seek through their designs to perform their required tasks through their personalized discretion with little or no direction from the Ancient One; although the Ancient One sometimes speaks through the mouth of its oracle, The Chronicler.

The Immortals, servants of the Ancient One, have nearly limitless power as they draw from the very wellspring of reality. Their essences, maintained and generated from the Life Force, are uniquely tuned to control it and manipulate it through the facets of the four Influences in order to be effective "gardeners" and "shepherds" of all things temporal.

Once the Immortals have been granted their Life Force, they are entrusted with a purpose which they are allowed to have chosen for them or which they may choose themselves. This purpose, also known as their "Patronage", allows the Immortals to prove their trustworthiness as they strive to draw closer to the Ancient One and drink deeper from the limitless wells of its power.

Create Your Immortal

At its creation, your Immortal has thirteen Life Force which you should spread across your four Influences at your discretion, giving each one no less than one Influence Point (Influence Points are units of Life Force placed under each Influence). At generation, no Immortal may have higher than 10 in any Influence.

Primary Influence

When placing Influence Points keep in mind that the Influence with the highest number of Influence Points is considered to be your primary Influence. This primary Influence can help you to determine which Patronage to take as well as to provide your Immortal with a support structure of Immortals that will be more likely to help in support of a common paradigm. If you choose to have several Influences with the same number which is highest (Dawn 4, Island 4, Ice 4, Breath 1 for example) then you may choose which Influence to be primary.

When your character gains Life Force (and therefore will be allowed to assign more Influence Points to Influence), you must make sure either to maintain the Primary Influence as highest or make your chosen Primary Influence the highest if it is the same as others at creation.

Patronage

With your Immortal's Primary Influence in mind, it is time to choose a Patronage for your deity. A Patronage is the specific group of creation over which an Immortal is granted sovereign discretion and over which your Immortal will have control. As well as having the benefit of using the Patronage to your whim, you must remember that your Immortal also has a responsibility to tend to the needs of his Patronage, ensuring its survival while maintaining the delicate balance found among all Creation in Reality.

If somehow an Immortal loses a Patronage, he permanently loses five Life Force with two Influence Points taken from his Primary Influence, and one Influence Point removed from each of the other three Influences. If this results in the Immortal having a Primary Influence lower than any other Influence, the Immortal will be on Probation until he raises it to an equal or higher state than the others. While on Probation, the Immortal may not rise in Status, and he may be assigned a Watcher Immortal to make sure he is doing all he can to work efficiently. If the Immortal drops in Status enough to fall to a lower level, he will retain all "unlost" Patronages. Once the five Life Force have been re-earned, the Immortal may petition the Council of the Divinities to provide a new Patronage to replace the lost one (from the same Status group).

If at any time an Immortal is perceived as inattentive, aloof or malicious towards his own Patronage or towards the balance of the Universe, a Council of the Divinities may be called to pronounce judgment over the offending deity. The result of judgment could be as minor as a reprimand with corrective measures guaranteed or as harsh as complete Dissipation into the ethers of Time.

So, make sure that your Immortal pays at least a little attention to those charged to be in her care, else she might end up being nothing.

Character Description

After determining the character's Patronage, you should spend a few moments describing your Immortal. In this description, you should list strengths and weaknesses of her character including her ideas of purpose and self-understanding. This section should list answer the "Why am I here"-type of questions while paying attention to the character's Influences, Patronage, Status and Action preferences. Do not forget to include some sort of description of your Immortal's preferred form of physical manifestation. While Immortals are not bound to a physical body, they tend to prefer to remain in a physical form (usually humanoid) even in their abodes as they find "bodies" to be handy tools for communicating ideas and emotions. In this section you will want to include any reference to the "maleness" or "femaleness" of your character. While it is not necessary to choose a "sex" for your Immortal, the gods frequently find it beneficial to choose one primary form (male or female) which to use when relating with Creation.

After writing the description, allow The Chronicler to look it over. If you have made some extreme choices in character description which The Chronicler finds objectionable try to work out a compromise or change your description. Remember, "if it's not fun for all, it's not fun at all!" (Michael Pearl, emphasis mine.)

Once the character description has been approved by The Chronicler, allow the other Players to read it. During play, you may want to refer back to your character description to assist you in playing your Immortal. In the midst of the game, Players can be rewarded for exceptional role-playing by the other Players (including The Chronicler). Therefore, playing your character's flaws as well as strengths will not only enable you to have a more enjoyable time, it will also provide you with the opportunity to gain bonuses to increase your Immortal's status!

Name Your Character

"What's in a name?" From the very beginning, names have provided us with a means not only of singling out one another but also have been used to identify our individuality of nature and purpose. Holy names frequently maintain some significance that relates to the power of the gods rather than being strange amalgamations of syllables that "sound good". When creating your Immortal, try to provide a name that has some significance to you (if to no one else) and take pride in your home-made deity's moniker.

Asrogoth · April 18, 2004, 08:08:27 AM

Here's part two... It looks as though I'll have one or two more sections to add. Enjoy the meal.

God Lore: The Chronicles of the Immortals
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PART TWO

Influence Points

Influence Points are the expression of Life Force within the Influence of each Immortal. Not only can Characters gain permanent or Static Life Force, they can also spend Life Force (in the form of Influence Points) on a temporary basis to take Actions, raise Difficulty levels for other Immortals, and increase the chances of success in various encounters.

As mentioned in the Life Force section, when an Immortal reaches zero Life Force he is sent to the Void where he is unable to affect the Game. Normally, an Immortal will regenerate one Influence Point per round, but after reaching zero, an Immortal loses this ability and can only regenerate Life Force by being given one Ambrosia (which will regenerate all Life Force) or by being "resurrected" by another Immortal which costs one Influence Point from each Influence for the generous Immortal. Once resurrected, the previously off-line Immortal will regenerate Life Force normally.

Influence Points can be spent temporarily to:

Counters section below for information on tracking spent Influence Points.

Actions

In God Lore: The Chronicles of the Immortals characters may choose from a variety of Actions to effect their will. Normal Actions are Create, Possess and Assault. Special Actions available to Immortals are Abrogate, Challenge, and Life Force Attack.

Normal Actions
Create:
As its name implies, this Action allows the Immortal to make something "new" directly from the Influences/Life Force or to modify an existing creation. Some acts of Create require a Difficulty Target check (see below). Once an Immortal has created or modified a portion of Creation, she becomes its patron. Due to the Immortal's creative efforts, that section of Creation has a special tie to the Immortal, and if it is ever threatened, the Immortal will know of the threat immediately. It is up to the Immortal to either allow its creation to encounter whatever difficulty it faces or to attempt to "rescue" it.

Possess:
An Immortal may possess any part of Creation whether his own or created by another. If the Immortal attempts to possess any sentient creature, the Immortal must roll as against a challenge of the appropriate Influence. The difficulty of the task may be increased by another Immortal. Upon success, the Immortal gains complete control over the "Possession". Immortals may only possess one sentient creature at a time. An Immortal may possess as many non-sentient creations as she has Life Points in addition to the one sentient creature. A possessed inanimate object may be used for multiple purposes, such as a weapon, sanctuary for worshipers, or perhaps a vehicle for transportation to the godly realms.

If the Immortal is unsuccessful at possessing a creation, he may not try to possess the same creation for one full turn. If unsuccessful a second time, the creation has a special innate protection against that Immortal's influence and may not be possessed by the Immortal unless the creation is possessed by a higher status Immortal and the control passed to the lower Immortal.

Assault:
One Immortal may choose to Assault another Immortal's Influences. The losing Immortal's Influence Points from that specific Influence are reduced by one for the number or rounds equal to the winning Immortal's Influence in that area. For example, if you, Gok (Dawn = 5), attack Shartu (Dawn = 3), and you roll 6, 4, 4, 3, 3, 1 while Shartu rolls 6, 6, 2. You would lose your attack and lose one Dawn Influence Point for three rounds.

Special Actions

Abrogate:
Perhaps most feared by mortal man is the Immortals' power of Abrogation. If an Immortal so chooses, he may remove his power from his creation and possessions. If the Immortal abrogates from a creation, that creation will, at the Immortal's discretion, be destroyed. If the creation is sentient (i.e. Possession), the creature will not be destroyed but will suffer from mental agony with possible physical side effects. These Actions of abrogation could affect an Immortal's Status as other Immortals may find his Actions negligent and irresponsible which may result in a Tribunal of the Gods and which could end up with the Immortal being penalized and losing Status (i.e. Life Force/Initiative Points).

Abrogate is not normally an Action unless the Immortal is using Abrogate to free himself from a Possession in which case Abrogate is considered to take an Action.

If an Immortal reaches zero Life Force, is Dissipated or is Suspended, all of his Creation and Possessions are considered to be Abrogated.

Challenge:
Players may Challenge other Players' Actions by playing an Influence Card in response to the other Players' Actions (if the card is still available for play). A Challenge does not count towards a Player's one Action per Round -- it is a "free" Action.

Each Player has four Influence Cards which can each be used once before being out of play for one Turn. A Player may use all Influence Cards within one Round, but he may only use the same card once per Round.

The Player may remove any Influence Card from out of play and use it immediately at the cost of one Influence Point, if that Card is his Primary Influence Card and is used immediately with a successful Challenge, then he shall regain the one Influence Point spent and put the card back out of play.

See links for sample cards:

Dawn Influence Card
, Island Influence Card
, Ice Influence Card
, Breath Influence Card
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When an Influence Card is played the players must roll xd6 where x = their Influence number for that Influence. Sixes are considered a success. If the Challenged player rolls any sixes, he automatically wins the Challenge. Otherwise, the player with the greatest number of sixes or higher dice wins. For example, if Shartu, the goddess of minnows (Island = 4), Challenged Gok, the god of torches (Island = 2), with her Island Card. She rolls 4d6 and he rolls 2d6. She rolls 5, 4, 2, 2. He rolls 6, 1. Gok wins because he rolled a six. If instead, Gok had rolled 5, 4, then the result would have been a tie -- the Challenger loses a tie, so Gok would have won as well. If, however, Gok had rolled a 4, 4, he would have lost because his highest die did not equal Shartu's highest die.

When challenging with an Influence Card, the challenging Player must tentatively spend one Influence (which will not be counted against this roll). If the challenging Player loses the Challenge, then he temporarily loses one Influence Point (one round per opponent Influence Point). If successful, the Challenged Player does not lose Influence Point but is not successful in his Action.

Assaults against oneself may not be Challenged with an Influence Card; although another Player may choose to intervene and Challenge an Assault by one Player against another. Life Force Attacks may not be Challenged.

Life Force Attack:
An Immortal may choose to attack another Immortal directly by choosing to concentrate his entire Current Life Force (available Influence Points) as an attack. The Immortal attacking will roll xd6 where x = Current Life Force. The defending Immortal can choose to roll as many die (maximum = Current Life Force) as desired but must leave one Influence Point in each Influence. The Player with the greater number of sixes wins the contest. The winner of the contest loses one-half of his current Influence Points (rounding down). The loser is forcibly sent to a negative plane where he is unable to affect play for two turns. While suspended from play, he is forced to abrogate all his personal creations and possessed creations until his return to play. At that point, he may attempt to reestablish his control/possession one creation per round. If neither Player rolls a six, both Players lose one-half current Influence Points (rounding down) and both are unable to take any Action (except for personal defense) for three rounds and any possessed creation is abrogated by both.

Difficulty Targets

Not all tasks are "opposed" by other Players or the Chronicler. Even though a task may not be opposed, it still may have a high degree of difficulty. Most tasks the Immortals purpose are mundane and require little expenditure of their energy or time. These tasks are relatively easy for Immortals -- where they may be insanely difficult or impossible for mortal kin (except perhaps for the most gifted Mages, Priests or Warriors). As tasks become more complex and difficult, the gods must spend more energy to affect their desires. In order to complete these more difficult endeavors, the Players must roll a number of die equal to their appropriate Influence for the task. The result must have the required number of successes (sixes) as the Difficulty Target for the aforementioned task. If the Immortal fails to match the Difficulty Target, then he loses that number of Influence Points from the tested Influence.

Difficulty Targets

Linking
Due to the difficult nature of some tasks, groups of Immortals will often band together to perform Titanic and Mythic endeavors. By spending as many Initiative Points as the difficulty of the task at hand amongst the linking Immortals, they may in fact link their power and roll one group of dice equal to their total Influence required for the specific task (minus the Initiative Points required for the linking). Immortals may make this link with no cost to perform Easy tasks or Life Force Attacks, but in so doing, they all suffer in full any losses to Influence that may occur as a result. A "leader" of the linking must be chosen who will retain all control of any possessed or newly created/modified creations.

Action Ratings

The Action Rating is any proficiency modifier given to specific types of Normal Actions. An Immortal may choose to increase an Action Rating up to plus four by spending ten Ambrosia per level of increase desired. The Action Rating allows the Immortal the use of one extra die per plus when using the specified Action.

The Platypus

Most people believe the most bizarre creature existing in the known world is the duck-billed platypus. This creature is so strange that many have called it the "Great Mistake" of the gods. Sometimes a Player may roll all ones -- a complete failure. If this happens, the character has accidentally and completely messed up. Instead of the desired effect, some other negative effect (narrated by the Player) occurs with the result being that the Player loses one-half of his current Influence Points for the Influence being tested (or Life Force if being attacked/attacking with Life Force Attack -- which would be in addition to losing the fight, being suspended from play for two turns and forcing abrogation from all the Immortal's personal creations and any possessed creation).

Ambrosia:

You begin the game with six vials filled with Ambrosia nectar. You may choose to use these at any time.

If a Player chooses to use one Ambrosia, all his character's Influences will return to normal if reduced. If none are reduced, the Player may choose to increase one Influence by two points for one turn or increase three Influences by one point. (The Player may choose to use as much Ambrosia as desired to increase Influences temporarily.) Ambrosia may also be used to resurrect an Immortal from zero Life Force.

Ambrosia may be saved and used during game play to permanently increase either Life Force or Action Ratings. To add one Static Life Force, a Player must spend five Ambrosia. This Life Force/Influence Point is automatically transferred to the Influence of the Player's choice.

To increase an Action Rating, a Player must spend ten Ambrosia. After spending the ten Ambrosia, the Player may add one to either Create, Assault, or Possess. This addition will allow Player to add one die per addition to any roll of that specific action whenever challenged or when encountering a greater difficulty. If a Player wants to increase an Action Rating to plus four, he must spend ten Ambrosia per level below four. Thus, if a Player has a Create +2 and wants to increase to Create +4, then he must spend 20 Ambrosia.

Ambrosia may only be used every three turns and can only be used during game play. Whenever your character drinks of the nectar of the gods (Ambrosia, silly!) you should take a drink of your refreshing beverage.

Ambrosia can be earned during play and should be rewarded at the end of each game. During play, a Player may do something extraordinary for which the other Players (not including the Chronicler) would like to reward. Each Player is allowed to award one Ambrosia to one different Player during the Game as a reward for exceptional play.

At the end of a game or game session, each Player receives three Ambrosia. If the Chronicler feels as though one Player has stood out during the gaming session or game, she may award that Player one additional Ambrosia.

If the Chronicler is also playing a character, then his character is eligible for Player-awarded Ambrosia as well as the standard post-game three Ambrosia award.

Occasionally, the Chronicler may allow Players to find Ambrosia during a game session, but this action should be rare since Ambrosia is highly valued by the gods and is guarded zealously -- to the point of causing wars among the gods! Rewarding Ambrosia after the game and during game play for extraordinary role-playing should be sufficient to assist the Players in increasing their character's Influence.

Time
Game Mechanic Time

A Turn is the amount of time it takes for all the players to complete ten Rounds. A Round is the amount of time it takes for all the players to complete one Action.

In order to keep track of Rounds and Turns, you should make a personal "Timeline of the Gods" (TM). (See Counters to learn how to make this amazing device). With the Timeline, you will be able to monitor your in-game usage of Influence Points and Influence Cards.

In-Game Time

Because your characters are Immortal, they very rarely have need to concern
themselves with Time. In fact, they do not understand Time in the same way as mere mortals who live and die in such a limited scope that their exploits barely brush the magnificent spectrum of the lifetime of the gods. The Immortals frequently travel from one time to another throughout the Universe not to "change" Time, but to interact with Creation in order to right wrongs and administer aid where required in an effort to effect their mission of shepherding more magnanimously.

Some Immortals (aberrant ones and Daemons) have been known to purposefully travel through Time in attempts to shape Reality to their designs. All efforts should be made not to manipulate Time for personal goals but to maintain its integrity and strive to perform one's duty as needed at the appropriate place and Time.

Therefore, Immortals do not concern themselves with in-game issues of time for they can travel it at whim, but they do concern themselves with those who would manipulate it for their own desires while ignoring the bigger picture.

The Chronicler

From the very beginning of Time, when the Immortals were young, and Creation was younger still, the Ancient One placed Its call upon a special being not unlike the Immortals, but different, and in its own way, more powerful. This being was assigned the task of watching the Watchers, of examining the exploits of the Immortals and producing documents that chronicled the Immortals' endeavors. Along with its tasks came power. This power derived from the Ancient One but did not flow from the Life Force. Its power flowed from the very nature of its job -- the words themselves that this being used to describe the Actions of the Immortals provided it with the ability to effect its desires and follow its mandate to record and recite the Chronicles of the Immortals. The Chronicler as it became known to the Immortals resides in The Forever and chronicles all that it sees, filing the God Lore of the ages into eternal books to be read on the great day when the Ancient One calls for the end of all things and the new beginning where all will be made known. On this day, The Chronicler will be heard by all reading from the Scroll of Deeds.

The Chronicler in the Game is the Player in charge of the Story. He sets up the initial setting, context and Game Session goals. Prior to the Game, The Chronicler should have a good idea of what he expects to happen during the Game Session and preparing the appropriate scenario which to use for the Game. At the beginning of the Game, The Chronicler should spend a few moments briefly outlining the scenario, explaining in general the goals of the specific session and reminding them of their ability to approach that goal as they see fit. After the Game begins, all Players will be responsible for achieving these goals. The Chronicler is the mediator and judge during play in order to assist in maintaining Game congruence and peace. If a dispute arises over rules, The Chronicler is granted sole judgment over resolution during Game play. Remember that a good Chronicler listens to the desires and ideas of his co-Players before deciding on a judgment.

The Chronicler plays all Characters that influence the Story not controlled by the other Players. He may choose to play his personal Character as well within the group, but he may not be the spokesman for the group and should always remember not to show favorites.

Most important of all, this game should be played in a manner where all the Players can enjoy it. The Chronicler is not a Lord Singular Immortal, but The Chronicler of the events that occur and a facilitator primarily. He is in charge of looking at the Scrolls of Time in order to best interpret the Actions of the Immortals when confusion has arisen in their understanding.

How to Play

Read from the Scroll
At the beginning of the round, The Chronicler should describe the situation in which the Characters find themselves, including any information required for the characters effectively to participate in the Game. Such information as revealing the results of previous actions on their environment, describing the sudden appearance of another Immortal, or alerting them to strange events within Reality are all examples of "Reading from the Scroll".

Declare Intentions
The Players (including The Chronicler) declare the intentions of their Immortals in clockwise order, starting with the first player to The Chronicler's left. This first phase is simply to give everyone else an idea of your intentions. This phase does not need to be extremely detailed as responses will be made and questions asked to determine what is occurring within the "shared imagined space".

Respond to Intentions
As the previous phase, the Players may choose to respond to the announced intentions of the other Players. At this point, Players may choose to challenge, abrogate or slightly modify their announced intentions if any objections have been made.

ROLL!!!
After Intentions have been declared and responded to, the Players should toss the dice if there are any contested actions.

Declare Actions
Noting the results from the die rolls, the Players should narrate what happens to their Characters from the successful or failed rolls. The Chronicler may choose to overrule or elaborate on statements made by various Players. -- Be wary though if playing The Chronicler that a heavy-handed use of narrative control may result in Players retreating from being as free with their play, ending up with disgruntled Players and a less-than-exceptional role-playing experience.

Calculate Results
At the end of the round, once all actions have been described, the Players and The Chronicler take a moment to modify Life Force and Influence Point levels as well as any changes to the Characters that occurred as a result of this round's play.

REPEAT the process during next round!

talysman · April 18, 2004, 08:22:53 AM

IceRunner: a dweomerpunk fantasy setting

part 4 (part 1 located here; part 2 located here; part 3 located here)

Setting Details: Social Structure

the pseudomedieval society in which IceRunners exist bears a superficial resemblance to a fairytale version of the Dark Ages of medieval Europe at approximately the time of Charlemagne. medieval France is taken as the primary pattern for society, with some influences from later medieval England in the form of a somewhat strong feudal system. local political control belongs to counts in the service of a weak central monarch, with military control in the hands of dukes; the count administers the court system and collects the taxes and rents from free commoners, while the dukes administer justice to the serfs under their authority, who labor 4/5 of every week in the lord's fields in exchange for the right to work their own meager strips of land on the rest of the week. the lord of the manor uses the products of the serf's labor to support himself and any knights under his command. the king, despite his weakened authority, keeps tabs on the counts and dukes with ministers sent from county to county and duchy to duchy, to verify that the king's law remains uniform throughout the land.

the ministers have no authority on the lands of the largest landowner: the church. most of the arable land and even some of the wilderness is under the control of abbeys, which rents out land to commoner tenants, except for a portion it works itself using lay monks. for the most part, the abbots do not interfere with the dukes and counts, who are expected to provide military and legal protection to the peasant and merchant classes. instead, priests and monks care for the spiritual defense of the other three estates.

and spiritual defense is definitely needed, for sorcery seems to lurk in the shadows everywhere. travel between villages may suddenly be cut off by an ogre, or an upstanding miller may cruelly be cursed to become a ravenous werewolf. even when violent attacks are set aside, sorcerors seem to work to undermine the moral character of the people, preying on the poor peasant seeking to escape his lot of labor, or upon the misery of those pining in love or grieving in loss.

the work of the clergy in defending the faith is manifold. village priests minister to the villagers directly, instructing them in moral virtues, warning them of the dangers of the Forbidden Arts, and comforting those in need to ensure that none are tempted to stray into the darkness. although most clergy have only their faith to defend them against the direct attack of the forces of darkness, it is known that magic is fickle on hallowed ground, sometimes striking the sorceror instead of the steadfast believer (sorcery rolls have an extra Curse Die on hallowed ground.) furthermore, some of the clergy are truly Holy, aided by miracles of the saints against sorcerors. even those clergy who are not so gifted are trained to recognize the mark of sorcery and know the safety that can be found in a congregation of believers, especially in the daytime.

Setting Details: the sorcerous underground

in contrast to the picture painted by the clergy, the sorcerous side of the story views reality a little differently. first, sorcerors are criminals because sorcery is forbidden, not because of some moral failing. many did not originally ask to become sorcerors, but found they had a gift, which they assumed came from God. even those who were taught different and who tried to avoid using their Art were sometimes forced to defend themselves from a dangerous attack, or turned to sorcery only after being falsely accused of it in the first place. also, although there are certainly bad sorcerors and dangerous creatures of magic, the majority of sorcerors are decent folk, if a bit shady; the somewhat morally grey behavior of many sorcerors is due more to the necessity of being part of a criminal underworld, where desperate people must take desperate measures to survive. sorcerors on the run from the law must be helped into hiding, using a series of safe-houses run by moles; criminals need to be fed and clothed, which requires obtaining spare food and clothing in a climate of scarcity. these can be acquired without theft, but only by running a black market in forbidden talismans and potions, traded for sacks of grain or bolts of cloth.

these mundane needs can be assisted by magic, but not replaced completely. even so, the magic required to help maintain a secretive underworld requires power to pull off, which requires Ice; plus, moving large quantities of goods in secret is best accomplished by passing through the one region no non-sorceror can enter: the astral realm. these two factors explain the particular importance of IceRunners: they are the best at acquiring Ice and the best at moving contraband, as well as being a pretty good choice as couriers.

all of this means that the hidden society of sorcerors has a certain feel of camaraderie shared by outcasts from the ordinary world; despite their illegal dealings, sorcerors share a "thieves' honor" that is rare among ordinary thieves. few would betray another sorceror to the hounds of the Holy, not even an enemy. feuds between sorcerors tend to be settled privately, without involving the mundanes. when someone does betray this trust, punishment is swift and secret.

although sorceror moles living in fairly ordinary surroundings, much of the illicit activity of the Forbidden Brotherhood occurs elsewhere. first, members of mundane society who decide to deal clandestinely with sorcerors know where to find a sorceror, thanks to the teachings of the clergy: at a crossroads, preferably one far from human habitation, either on the night of the new moon or on an overcast night when no moon can be seen. magic is in the air on such nights, so sorcerors feel safer about meeting potentially traitorous clients. other sorcerors may meet in the wilderness, at appropriate places of power on similar evenings, but these are usually sorceror-only affairs. anyone who feels waiting for the right night will be too long a delay can try visiting a hermit or crone living alone in a secluded spot; of course, despite the rumors surrounding such strange individuals, not all are sorcerors, so it is risky.

the typical meeting places become tiny midnight village markets at the appointed times, seemingly impromptu gatherings called "covens" by the superstitious. these are good places to acquire talismans, or to hire "dirty help". warlocks and assaultmages specialize in varous forms of attack, which some powerful members of mundane society occasionally seek to eliminate some rival. not all assaultmages are paid assassins; many of them act as the enforcers of the unwritten law of the Forbidden Brotherhood, while others are bodyguards, defending those that hire them. warlocks, on the other hand, are mainly good for schemes and seeds of discord, and routinely hire themselves out to unscrupulous nobles.

IceRunners can occasionally be found at crossroad covens, but since few ordinary people need an IceRunner (or even understand what they do,) they are more likely to be found at the secluded wilderness meetings. if none are there, either, any sorceror could opt to enter the astral realm and seek the nearest large astral island; very large islands have small permanent settlements of their own which have existed for centuries, with established lords and a constabulry of assaultmages. you can almost certainly find an IceRunner there.

Setting Details: NPC sorceror classes

The Holy: gains 1 temporary Magic Die when on hallowed ground (such as a properly consecrated cemetery or church;) furthermore, The Holy do not suffer from situational Curse Dice on hallowed ground. however, if one of The Holy uses magic to invest Curse Dice in any person, place or thing, all holiness is lost and tcaster becomes one of The Touched instead. losing one's holiness does not imply losing one's position in the church; the privileges of the priesthood are a matter of actual morality of a believer's actions. not all priests are holy, nor are all of the Holy priests.

The Touched: these are mere mortals with experience in sorcery but no special bonus. one of the Touched might be a formerly holy person who transgressed, a past victim of a Curse, or an ordinary person who has somehow previously dabbled with magic. such people are now technically sorcerors, but do not have a special inclination in sorcery; if they want to practice sorcery, they must seek out opportune conditions, acquire talismans, or trade whatever goods or services they can produce for Ice.

The Cursed: these are half-sorcerors who have gained power as a consequence of being Cursed. they have a Magic Die bonus, but they also have one or more Curse Dice associated with sorcerous advantages. some examples of the Cursed are:

[*]werewolf: gains 1 temporary Magic Die during the night of the full moon, PLUS has the unnatural talent "turn into wolf at will"... but this is tied to the "become violent beast" Curse Die. werewolves have no special weapon vulnerabilities or immunities; they become normal wolves, sometimes involuntarily. many never bother to use sorcery, since they normally can only use it on the nights when they gain an additional Curse Die, making sorcery attempts more likely to result in Cursed transformation.
[*]vampire: gains 1 temporary Magic Die at night, plus two talents (Unnatural Strength and Unnatural Speed); they have two Curse Dice as a consquence, linked to the curse "causes those close to them to sicken and die". vampires awaken after a seeming death to discover they have sorcerous power, which they use to visit their family first, to let them know they still live; this almost invariably cause their loved ones to die of a wasting illness. at this point, some vampires deny their nature and attempt to live a normal human life in another village, where they will not be recognized; however, they are eventually tempted to use sorcery or their unnatural talents, which tends to activate the curse again. vampires are truly unhappy victims.
[*]ghost: gains 1 temporary Magic Die in an unhallowed burial ground, plus the talent Become Mist, but also has one Curse Die linked to "frightens ordinary folk". ghosts find their second unnatural life almost as unhappy as vampires, until they decide to take up permanent residence in the astral realm.
[*]evil eye: gains 1 temporary Magic Die in social interactions, plus the unnatural talent Forsee Danger, but combined with 1 Curse Die linked to "sickens ordinary folk". those cursed with the evil eye are not as bad off as vampires, especially since they are not known to have died, so they can lead almost ordinary lives without relocating; however, the temptation to use sorcery in day-to-day life is much more tempting for them. fortunately, their curse is not deadly, but it almost always reveals their nature to the watchful clergy.[/list:u]

enchanted beasts: the wilderness is filled with ordinary dangers, but also the occasionally extraordinary danger; enchanted beasts, produced by sorcery, sometimes escape into the wilds and endanger sorceror and mundane alike. the majority of enchanted beasts are ordinary animals with one change, treated as an unnatural talent, plus 1 Magic Die to power the talent. common enchantments are Enlarged, Envenomed, Speech, Unseen, and Vanish into Astral. they may also have ordinary talents to reflect the abilities typical of their normal cousins: Horns, Fangs, Claws, Wings, Strength, Speed, Camouflage.

some more exotic enchanted beasts include:

basilisk/cockatrice: Talons, Weak, and Unnatural Gaze of Slaying (cause damage at a distance).
griffin: Wings, Talons, Sharp Eyes, and Unnatural Speed.
manticore/mantigora: Teeth, Wings, Great Strength and Unnatural Spikethrowing.
unicorn: Horn, Shyness, Unnatural Speed, Unnatural Beauty, and 2 Magic Dice.
wyvern: Teeth, Claws, Wings, and Unnatural Sting.

Gameplay Details should hopefully be finished in tomorrow evening's installment.

Ben Lehman · April 18, 2004, 08:59:14 AM

Polaris

On Traits:

   For each character, each of the four sub-attributes (Snow, Glacier, Star and Dawn) has at least one, usually more traits associated with it. Traits are not necessarily descriptions of how that attribute manifests in the knight, although they can be, but rather they are ways in which that attribute may be brought to bear on a conflict, for good or ill.
   The traits under different attributes describe different things:

Snow: Snow traits are Offices, appointments and roles within the social order of the people.

Glacier: Glacier traits are Passions, the driving forces behind the knight's questing. These can be goals, relationships with people, or even a relationship with a demon.

Star: Star traits are Blessings, the mysterious artifacts that the stars have seen fit to bestow upon you, and the ability to use them.

Dawn: Dawn traits are Techniques, personal abilities and strategems that are of use to the knight.

Automatic Traits:
   All knights have a specific set of automatic traits -- one Office and Technique and two Blessings and Passions. Every knight has these traits. See trait descriptions, later, for details.

Office: Knight of the Order of the Stars.
Passion: Relationship (any other PC).
Passion: Relationship (any NPC relative of yours)
Blessing: Starlight Sword
Blessing: Breathsuit
Technique: Lore (Demons)

Additional Traits:
   Every PC gets to select additional traits. How these are selected and how many are selected depends on whether the character is a Veteran or a Novice.

Veterans select two additional traits in each category, as well as extra traits equal to their Weariness score, from any category. All of their traits are defined at the start of play, and may not be changed (although new traits can be added through experience.)

Novices may select up to two traits in each category, but may opt not to select a number of traits equal to their Zeal. These extra traits may be selected at any time between the character's scenes, although for certain traits (offices and blessings) the trait may not "kick in" until the scene allows for it (for instance, if the novice wants to gain the Office "Keeper of the Left-Hand Museum," they would need to frame a scene in which they were appointed before using the trait.) Once selected, these traits may not be changed. When a Novice adds a trait through experience, she may wait to add it in this way.

Example Traits:
   Traits can come in any forms and sizes, but here are some thoughts on traits that you might take. Traits are primarily described by their Heroic and Demonic invocations. The Heroic Invocation describes when the trait can be used to aid the knight, and the Demonic Invocation describes when it can be used to hurt him.

   These are merely a few example traits offered for your consumption. From these bases, you can construct your own traits. Automatic traits are listed first, and marked with a (*)

Example Offices:

Knight of the Order of the Stars *
Description: The character is a Knight Stellar.
Heroic Invocation: Like all offices, this trait is most often invoked when using the office to some social effect -- here, it could be used in an investigation, or when rallying to people to a defense against the mistaken.
Demonic Invocation: The Knights have a bad reputation and, further, a doom lays heavy upon them. When either of these come up, this trait may be invoked demonically.

Matriarch of Yildun
Description: The Yildun are a numerous clan, particular influential in the Southreach orchestra, and you are their senior member, due great respect and appreciation. Your name is Markab I.
Heroic Invocation: Using the support of your family, ordering family members around, taking care of family business, using the prestige of your family name to your advantage.
Demonic Invocation: You are betrayed by a family member, you have to deal with your family's bad reputation, you have to take care of an irresponsible family member.

Sole Heir of Kaus Borealis
Description: You are the only Kaus Borealis left living, the sole heir of the ancient heritage of royal philosophers. Your name is Kaus Borealis, and you do not list a number.
Heroic Invocation: Calling upon the strength of your ancestors, reciting your lineage to impress others with your ability, recalling bits of family history.
Demonic Invocation: You are alone, without kin in the world, and your solitude is turned against you. Someone brings up a mad relative in conversation. Someone mentions that Kaus Borealis was involved in the construction of the First Calendar.

Keeper of the Left-Hand Museum
Description: You are, at least in theory, charged with the care and keeping of the priceless artifacts housed within the Left-Hand Museum at Tallstar remnant.
Heroic Invocation: Use the mysterious lore of those Dark Age artifacts. Grant or take away access to the Museum. Any conflict that occurs within the Museum. Leverage your position for political favor.
Demonic Invocation: Your duties distract you. Someone mentions that no one goes to museums in these modern times, anyway. Your underlings are stealing items and replacing them with fakes.

Example Passions: Passions are slightly different than Offices. They come in a few major types (Relationship, Drive, Destiny, Moral) which are then described in more detail.

Relationship with Rischia, Maiden of the Midmost Hall
Description: Rischia, hailed in song and poetry as the greatest beauty of the Sun Age, has had suitors travel two remnants and gift her with priceless rubies merely for the privilege of a moment in her sight. But she cares not for these suitors, wealthy and powerful and handsome as they may be, for she already has found her true love -- you, a common knight. But, although you know she is beautiful and kind, you cannot find it within yourself to love her back, and so your romance lingers, unspoken and rotting, between the two of you.
Heroic Invocation: Rischia is involved in the conflict -- either she is in danger, or is fighting you, fighting alongside you, or is in some other manner sums up what is at stake.
Demonic Invocation: As Heroic Invocation.

Relationship with Asmidike VI, Your Father.
Description: Your father was a knight. Though you never saw him, and only heard tell of his exploits from others in the Order, you always imagined that he was the greatest among the champions and, even as your mother disparaged the Stellars, you came to love them even more through the absent image of your father.
Heroic Invocation: Your father is involved in the conflict -- either he is in danger, or is fighting you, fighting alongside you, or in some other manner sums up what is at stake.
Demonic Invocation: As Heroic Invocation.

Drive to Become The Greatest Knight
Description: It is not enough to be a great warrior, defending your people from the Mistake, and sacrificing yourself for the good of the whole. You must be the best knight, at whatever cost.
Heroic Invocation: When your abilities as a knight come into question, when you come into conflict with other knights, someone challenges your reputation.
Demonic Invocation: Your single-minded devotion to perfection gets in the way of what is really at stake.
Special: (If a drive is "finished" or rendered impossible, it may be replaced by another drive at the next Advance.)

Destiny to Wield The Polaris Sword
Description: The Polaris Sword was crafted by the Sentinel Star as a gift for that ancient royal line. Brilliant blue and long as two men, it is a thing of legend and myth. It has been foretold that you will find the sword, and that you will wield it against the Snow Man in great battle within the Mistake.
Heroic Invocation: The situation draws you closer to finding the Polaris Sword, you are wielding the Polaris Sword, others recognize your great destiny and respect you for it.
Demonic Invocation: Your destiny draws you through misery and tragedy to reach its end.
Special: (If a destiny is "fulfilled" or rendered impossible, it may be replaced by another destiny at the next Advance.)

Moral: Never Accept Charity
Description: Whether you have sworn it to yourself or not, you will not accept the assistance of others when you need it most.
Heroic Invocation: You struggle through and succeed on your own, your independence grants you respect, you avoid a trapped present.
Demonic Invocation: Your pride gets the better of you, you gravely insult someone by turning them down, you turn down support that you really need.

Example Blessings: Blessings are all gifts of stars -- strange artifacts with mysterious powers. Those gifted with them intuitively understand how to use them, but others may not (unless they, also, have the trait.)

Starlight Sword *
Description: A shimmering, transparent sword of starlight appears in your hand whenever you need it (faintly colored red, blue or white). It is perfectly sharp, and sings slightly as it moves. (Some knights keep their swords hung at their belts, rather than having them appear.)
Heroic Invocation: You are fighting something in melee combat, need to cut something, or some other use of a sword.
Demonic Invocation: The demon you are fighting is immune to your sword, you accidentally hurt a companion with your sword.

Breathsuit *
Description: A thin, covering jumpsuit with a heavy visor and breathing mask.
Heroic Invocation: You need to breath in a hostile environment, you need protection against the elements.
Demonic Invocation: The breathsuit has a leak. The ugly image of the mask frightens a would-be ally.

Greater Starlight Weapon:
Description: Your starlight weapon takes the form of a larger sword, or some other sort of weapon, or is a missile weapon, or is bolts of starlight that you throw from your hands.
Heroic Invocation: As Starlight Sword.
Demonic Invocation: As Starlight Sword.

Eternal Breathsuit:
Description: Your breathsuit has some sort of food and water supply that allows you to survive forever in it, and is also so heavily insulated that it allows you to approach the Mistake without ever feeling cold.
Heroic Invocation: As Breathsuit, or you need to survive for a long time without food.
Demonic Invocation: As Breathsuit, or the taste of other food has become dry and dull to you.

The Call of Home:
Description: A tiny contraption of gem and metal, it contains a tiny star that helps the Knight navigate the treacherous waste.
Heroic Invocation: You need to find something in the wilderness, you need to keep up hope.
Demonic Invocation: The star points you towards the Mistake.

Memory Crystal:
Description: Beginning as a clear crystal, it gradually turns blue and red as information is stored in it. It can return the information as text, images (both flat and spatial), or even as a dull, flat speech.
Heroic Invocation: Use the crystal to recall something important. Use the crystal as a trick.
Demonic Invocation: The crystal contains foul things. The crystal contains incriminating information about you. The crystal lies.

Techniques: Techniques, like Passions, come in discrete types -- Lore, Tricks and Abilities.

Lore: Demons *
Description: You have learned from the Knights about the nature and types of demons, and how to fight them.
Heroic Invocation: You recall something about a demonic weakness, and exploit it. Your use your lore to diagnose a demonic possession, or perform an exorcism.
Demonic Invocation: Your lore is incorrect, Demons use your knowledge to manipulate you.

Trick: Strike from the Shadows
Description: You attack from hiding, allowing yourself more time to study your opponent, and so striking more effectively.
Heroic Invocation: You are fighting someone, and can use the trick.
Demonic Invocation: Someone else strikes you from the shadows, your target sees you coming.

Ability: Musician
Description: You are a musician of no mean skill.
Heroic Invocation: The sound of the stars gives you some warning. You play music to impress people. The pure sound of your star-music drives back a demon.
Demonic Invocation: You are overwhelmed by the screaming of the sun. You must stop to play a song, and are distracted from your task. Your playing ability proves unworthy to the composition that you have chosen to perform.

Ben Lehman · April 18, 2004, 09:12:21 AM

Quote from: Eero TuovinenBen: Do you know, you have quite the game there. The split-up between player resposibilities is giving me a headache. I'd really want to play this, but it'd have to be with exactly four players for that aesthetic, perfect feel. The world is really evocative too, though for some reason I see the people here as some giant insects.

Thanks! It's been a really fun chance to develop some strange stuff. I think it could actually work from 3-6. When the game is out of "panicked development" stage, they'll be specfic rules for each number of players.

And, no, not giant insects. Unless, y'know, you want to. Although an ice-mantises would be really cool mounts for the Knights Stellar... *slaps own hand* No! Bad! Must finish conflict mechanics!

yrs--
--Ben

P.S. May I say that I am totally bowled over by your three games.

P.P.S. For those interested, http://www.ras.ucalgary.ca/~gibson/starnames/starnames.html is a great source of character names for Polaris.

hanschristianandersen · April 18, 2004, 10:19:29 AM

Eero wrote:

Quotehanschristianandersen has a strong game going, too. I like the light, logical structure.

Thanks for the praise! The logical structure is a pleasant surprise to me; I set out to write out a game that had rules to cover every single major piece of the original scenario - thus, a Rule for Cocoa, a Rule for Snowballs, a Rule for Ice Monsters, a Rule for Bedtime, et cetera. It was sheer serendipity that everything ended up as unified as it did.

Oh, but there's still the matter of Gold Stars, I forgot to say what those do...

Snow Day - Gold Stars

Gold Stars are shiny and cool. You should be proud of any Gold Stars that you earn. Buy a bunch of self-adhesive gold stars, and prominently place them on your character sheets for all your other role-playing games, to show your fellow players how special you are.

Ben Lehman · April 18, 2004, 11:04:07 AM

Polaris

Conflict Resolution:

   Knights may come into conflict over any number of things. Perhaps the simplest example would be a fight with a demon, but this conflict resolution system is also used for social manipulation, political debates, philosophical arguments, romantic rivalry (or even romantic interludes), and many other things. Conflict resolution in Polaris appears, at first glance, to be somewhat complicated, but with practice it should become rather intuitive to the players. It can be divided into these simply steps:

1a) Declare Conflict
1b) Discuss Outcomes and Situation
1c) Offer Support
2a) Identify Base Attribute
2b) Invoke Traits
2c) Justify Traits
2d) Exhaust Traits
2e) Establish Stakes
3a) Count Final Attribute Value
3b) Roll Dice
3c) What about Support?
4a) Who Narrates?
4b) What the Moon Saw

1a) Declare Conflict

   At any time during a scene, the Knight's Heart or Snow Man may declare that this situation as become a conflict. At times, it is obvious that there is a conflict -- if the Snow Man narrates that "A man leaps out of the shadows with a knife," there will obviously be a conflict. At other times, especially when the two sides are not entirely opposed, the conflict will be more subtle, and thus easily missed. If you declare a conflict, and the other players are uncertain, take the time to explain the situation to them, and why you see it as a conflict.

1b) Discuss Outcomes and Situation

   Before diving into the trait bidding, you will want to take the time to discuss the conflict at hand. While no one is guaranteed that their goals will be accomplished -- even if they "win the conflict" -- this is a good time to discuss what each side is trying to get out of the conflict, how they might be attempting it, and what they're willing to do to get it. At this point, it may become apparent that there is no real conflict between the two sides, in which case you should skip the rest of the conflict system resume normal play. Likewise, if all the players think that a certain result is the most entertaining, skip the remainder of the conflict system and have that result take place.

1c) Offer Support

   If an NPC who is not controlled by the Snow Man is crucial to the conflict, the Full or New Moon (whoever plays the NPC) may opt to offer support to either the Snow Man or the Heart, which they are free to accept or decline. If support is declined, the Moon cannot offer it to the other side -- they may only make one offer. Likewise, you can only benefit from two offers of support during a single conflict, although such a situation would most certainly be rare.

   Support is not intended to be central to every challenge, and thus should be reserved for times when the NPC is quite important to the situation.

   Support will be important later, when it comes to rolling dice and narrating results.

2a) Identify Base Attribute

   The Base Attribute for a conflict is either Ice or Light, depending on circumstances. If the Heart declared the conflict, the base attribute is Light. If the Frost Maiden declared the conflict, the base attribute is Ice.

   In situations where conflict declaration was simultaneous or unclear, use Light when the Knight is being offensive and initiated the situation, and use Ice when the Knight is being largely defensive and reacting to the situation.

2b) Bid Traits

   The Heart or the Frost Maiden may "bid" one of the knight's traits in order to change the Base Attribute to the attribute of that trait. For example, bidding a lightsword changes the base attribute to Star.

   After one bid, the other side may choose to counter that bid with a trait that changes the conflict to a different attribute, if they wish. This continues, back and forth, until both sides decide that they will not bid any more traits, with the following rules:

Traits must apply, somehow, to the conflict (see Justifying Traits, below)

No one side may bid the same trait more than once.

If the Snow Maiden has bid a trait, the Heart cannot bid the same trait. If the Heart bids a trait, the Snow Maiden may bid the same trait in response to cancel that bid, at which point both traits are exhausted and bidding returns to the Heart, but if she opts not to do this, she cannot later bid that trait. If this cancellation is used, it does not count towards raising Stakes.

Each trait *must* change the Base Attribute.

You should keep track of what traits have been bid, and by whom (checks or initials by the traits should work), as well as how many traits, total, have been bid in the conflict.

Vocabulary: When traits are bid by the Heart, they are called Heroic Traits. When they are bid by the Frost Maiden, they are called Demonic Traits.

*IMPORTANT* Only PC Knights have traits. No other in-game entities have any systematic representation of all. Don't give traits to demons or NPCs, and certainly don't bid them here.

2c) Justify Traits

   If it is not immediately clear how a trait applies to a conflict (not like bidding a senatorial post in a political conflict, say) then whoever bids the trait may be called upon to suggest how it might apply to the conflict at hand. Like the discussion of outcomes, above, this is a totally non-binding suggestion. If both Moons agree that the trait is inappropriate, it may not be bid in the conflict, although the player who bid it may make another bid if they so choose.

2d) Exhaust Traits

   When a trait is bid, it is considered "exhausted" for that player, and cannot be bid again until the character has had a refresh (see Advancement and Refresh, below.) Note that traits are exhausted for the *player* and not the *character* -- just because the character's Heart has bid the Starlight Sword trait doesn't mean that the Starlight Sword doesn't come when called any more -- it just means that it might not be important in later conflicts. Also note that each player can bid each trait once before it is exhausted -- if the Heart has already bid Starlight Sword as a Heroic trait, the Frost Maiden could bid it as a Demonic trait in a later conflict.

   It is crucial that you keep track of exhausted traits. Don't forget it.

2e) Establish Stakes
   The number of traits bid in the conflict relates to how important the conflict is, and thus how wide-spread its outcome will be, and how bad failure is for the loser. This is called the "Stakes" of the conflict, and is important in narration. The following guidelines shows what the maximum effects are for different stakes levels and different targets.

Damage and Effects Chart: (this looks like some sort of foul Demonic Mistake, and I'm sorry. No clue how to do tables in bbcode. If the Chairman has some difficulty digesting this, I can post the table to another site.)
Traits      Novice    Veteran   Major NPC   Minor NPC
0      Neg.      Neg.      Minor      Major
1      Neg.      Minor      Major      Life-Change
2-3      Minor      Major      Life-Change   Death
4-6      Major      Life-Change   Death      Death
7+      Life-Change   Death      Death      Death

Explanation of Chart:
The left-most column is the total number of traits bid in the conflict.
The other columns are the different types of characters -- Novice Knights, Veteran Knights, Major NPCs (people or demons), and Minor NPCs. Note that the first two columns apply only to player characters -- other knights would use "major NPC" or "minor NPC" as appropriate.

The entries describe the amount of change that can be applied to the character as a result of the challenge.

Neg. means that, although there may be minor cosmetic effects, there is not lasting change to the character.

Minor. For injuries, this is light flesh wounds. It can also represent a minor change in the character's viewpoint, a brief infatuation, or short unconsciousness.

Major. For injuries, this can include broken bones, missing limbs, and serious injury that will kill if not treated. It can also represent a major crisis of morality for the character, an effective seduction, or a change of political policy.

Life-Changing. This is any reasonable change to a character that is not death.

Death. As Life-changing, but includes death.

In addition, the more traits that are bid, the greater effect that the challenge will have on the world and the game. A 0 trait fight with a flesh demon is merely all in a days work, but a 7-trait fight with the same demon is an epic struggle that tests the knight's endurance and will be sung of by the Order long after he has passed from this realm. A 2-trait political debate could shape one year's policy, but a 5 trait political debate has lasting impact on the political system of all the remnants.

While much of these effects are left to the narrator, other players should take care to heed the longer-term effects of high-trait conflicts.

3a) Count Final Attribute Value

   What attribute was the last bid trait associated with? This is the Base Attribute for the Challenge. For Example: If the last trait bid was Member of the Order of the Stars -- which is a Snow trait -- the Base Attribute is Snow.

   Was the last trait bid by the Heart? If the character is a Novice, add the character's Freeze or Flicker score (Freeze for Ice attributes, Flicker for Light attributes) to the Base Attribute. This is the Final Attribute Value.

   Was the last trait bid by the Snow Man? If the character is a Veteran, subtract the character's Thaw or Dimness score from the base attribute. This is the Final Attribute Value.

3b) Roll Dice

   Now, the Heart rolls a single eight sided dice. If the number showing is lesser than or equal to the Final Attribute value, then the Knight is victorious in the conflict. If the number is lesser than or equal to the Final Attribute value, the Knight has been defeated.

3c) What about Support?

   If their was support in the conflict, add one or two dice *of a different color* to the dice that the Heart rolls. If the support was for the Knight, take the lowest dice roll and discard the others. If the support was for the Snow Man, take the highest dice roll and discard the others. If the support was split, it cancels out -- just roll one dice.

   Was the support for the Knight? If the lowest dice was one of the extra dice, and the Knight's Heart wins the narration, whoever gave her support has the option of narrating the results of the conflict, *towards the supporting character's goals and not necessarily the Knight's*

   Was the support for the Snow Man? If the highest dice was one of the extra dice, and the Snow Man wins the narration, whoever gave him support has the option of narrating the results of the conflict, *towards the supporting character's goals and not necessarily the Demon's*

4a) Who Narrates?

   After the roll, the group of players cooperate to describe the results of the conflict, incorporating all traits that were bid (though not necessarily in the way originally suggested) and within the guidelines of Stakes. If the Knight's Heart won the roll, the results must come out in favor of the Knight, although -- again -- not necessarily in the way that he anticipated. If the Frost Maiden won the roll, the results must come out in favor of the Knight's opposition, although not necessarily in a way that is bad for the Knight.

   Despite the fact that narration is a collaborative process, one player is designated as the "Chief Narrator" who makes judgments on conflicting ideas, acts as the final word, and works to keep the narration coherent and within the scope of the conflict.

   (Some groups, particularly those that play on IRC or by e-mail, may wish to turn the narrative power entirely over to the Chief Narrator. This is fine, although you may lose some good ideas.)

   Who is the Chief Narrator? This depends on the roll and the Knight's experience.

   If the Knight is a veteran, the Heart serves a the Chief Narrator for failures, and the Frost Maiden serves as the Chief Narrator for succeses.

   If the Knight is a novice, the Heart serves as a Chief Narrator for successes, and the Frost Maiden serves as the Chief Narrator for failures.

   In the case of support, the Chief Narrator may also be one of the Moons.

4b) What the Moon Saw

   Before narration starts, and if they did not act as support in the conflict, the Moons are granted a special privilege. First, the Full Moon may make a single, short, factual statement about the outcome of the challenge, although it should be purposefully kept slightly obscure. "The Sword was Broken" or "She Slapped Him" are good examples. After this, the New Moon may make a single emotive statement. "Calm" or "Bitter" are good examples.

   These statements must be included significantly into the narration.

   The Moons do not have to do this and, if they do, they should not participate heavily in the Narration process, leaving the other players to interpret their statements.

Quote from: Announcer
With the mechanics stir-fry all whipped up, it looks like the Challenger is done with his... oh wait, what's this? No, he's got a refreshing advancement sorbet that's been waiting in the freezer. What, what's this? He's mixing it was some pyrrhic victory liquer -- it looks like some sort of advancement float!

Ben Lehman · April 18, 2004, 12:28:32 PM

Polaris

Experience and Refreshes

As the Knight's lives wear on, they will find themselves opposed at every turn by their own people, their own order, and even their own hearts. The stressful and dangerous life of a Knight Stellar takes its toll even on the strongest of souls, and even as they learn wisdom from their exploits they likewise become overwhelmed with depression and weltschwertz. This is represented, mechanically, by the Experience check.

When to Check?

An Experience Check can be called for by the Knight's Heart after the end of a scene where the Knight has failed a conflict. In addition, the Knight's Snow Man may call for for an Experience Check when a Knight makes some decision which, in the opinion of the Snow Man, reflects despair, depression, cynicism, understanding of the mistaken, or hatred of the people. In the second case, the check must be confirmed by at least one of the Moons before it is rolled.

What is the Experience Check?

The Knight's Snow Man rolls a single eight-sided dice, and compares the result with the Knight's Weariness or Zeal. This check tells how the Knight has considered his experiences, and how they effect him.

If the check is higher than Weariness or Zeal, the Knight considers his actions and failures, and finds within them inspiration to further his cause. No changes are made to the character, but all traits (demonic and heroic) refresh, and may be used in challenges again.

If the check lower than or equal to Weariness or Zeal, the Knight has internalized his experiences, and grown wizened by them. Add one to the Knight's Ice or Light attributes, also adding one to the corresponding subattributes. This increases also gives the Knight a new trait, and raises Weariness (or lowers Zeal) by one. Optionally, raise or lower one of the Knight's subattributes (Snow, Glacier, Star, Dawn) by one, although one of the subattributes must remain equal to the base attribute. (So if you have Ice 3 / Snow 2 / Glacier 3, you could change Snow to 3 or 1, but not change Glacier at all.) If you do this, recalculate your other derived attributes.

Note that, in this second trait, traits do not refresh, although new traits that are gained are eligible for bidding.

In general, the group should decide how the Knight changes (it should be reasonably obvious) but, in event of a dispute, the Knight's Heart has final say in the manner.

The Endless Thorny Road--

If a novice Knight's Zeal is lowered to zero in this manner, the knight has become a Veteran. All unassigned traits must be assigned at this time. Furthermore, raise both Snow and Glacier enough so that the lowest of the two is equal to Ice, and raise both Star and Dawn enough so that the lowest of the two is equal to Light. Recalculate the Knight's Weariness (should be equal to one), Dimness, and Thaw.

If a veteran Knight's Weariness raises above 6, he has been corrupted into a demonic power, and can no longer be played as a character.

Well, that's it folks. Barring any unforseen system holes, this is my last post for Polaris. After the judging comes in (or possibly before) I'll spin this off into a seperate design thread, because I have a great fondness for this game.

My thanks goes out to Chairman Holmes for providing me the opportunity to develop some cuisine that I always knew was out there, but hadn't set to paper yet. I wish the best of luck to my competition, which is pretty astounding. I am honored to be in your company.

And enjoy the food.

Final Menu:

Light Color Cocktails, Nicely Chilled, with little Lightsaber toothpicks
Stir-Fried Resolution Mechanics served on a bed of High-Concept Setting
Breaded-Roast Shared Narration System, with lumpley mashed potatoes
A Cool Broth of Protagonism
And, for desert, Advancement Sorbet floated in Pyrrhic Victory Liquer

Enjoy! Vive Design!

Eero Tuovinen · April 18, 2004, 01:52:13 PM

I got to thinking that I should pay compliments to some more games, just so you know that we in the audience are rooting for you. These competitions really need professional commentators to keep all the games afloat, otherwise the penguins overrun everything. Might be that I'll become one myself come the next competition... Maybe make the old Iron Chefs commentators, who may design games but won't be awarded prizes?

First of all, the Frigid Bitch: seems very tight, almost to the MLwM degree, but I'd like to see some more about the wooing of the Ice Queen. A fast read didn't really reveal the style and hazards, as far as I noticed there were just the die mechanics. The reader can of course include his own details, but I'd be very interested in what kind of detail Alexander was thinking of for the seminal moment of the game. Maybe an imaginary play example of the wooing round? Anyway, I like both this and the Island at the Dawn of Time, except the latter would benefit from more pervy mechanics, I feel. Then again, if you check my games you'll see that I'm several degrees pervier than I myself thought. The time limit really brings up the real preferences.

Icerunner is underappreciated if the comments are any gauge (they aren't, as people seem intimidated to comment at all). There's some heavy system design there, supporting interesting action. Definitely in the cyberpunk tradition, that one. I especially love the unforgiving stripping of the baroque from the medieval - too many games, just too many games have been written about "mythic Europe" with too much magic. The werewolves and vampires are diamond examples of the system in action.

Dawn of the Day of the Monsters has the saving grace of being with Polaris the second game with really different narrative logic. This exploration of options is something we really should be doing more! I for one am in a bit of a rut as far as narration goes, it's just mechanics and themes in my games.

Ganagagok - now, there's again a game worth playing for it's world alone. I just noticed that it has much of the same aesthetic as my Atlantis game, except that in this you can play the wandering poet who laments the changing of the world without the other players interfering too much. Not as dynamic, and the game benefits from it.

I'd feel like complimenting Snow from Korea but Shreyas being the equivalent of Death Star in the pure style department it'd only feel redundant. He surely knows how good he is without my prep talk.

The thing I REALLY want to know right now is if lumpley is coming out with BADASS. I'm sure I'm not exactly alone with the sentiment, but it had to be said. Iron Chef Freitag's Arabian Nights is the second one of the two games that I'm really counting on driving over the penguins in the style and strangeness departments, if they come forth. Wait, strangeness isn't judged? Oh, well...
(I'm really giving the lie here, omitting Snow from Korea and Polaris. But you didn't need me to tell you which five games are written with the most evocative style, did you?)
(Actually, I'm really writing myself into knots here, as then I'd have to include the Broken Wows and Terra Australis as well, and a bunch of other games. When taken as an evocative continuum the games here aren't as disparate as they seem when I compare my own writing with Shreyas's. And when you consider that evocative style is only one parameter of judgement, I'd just better shut up.)

I'm still going here by simply picking games, so no need to get miffed if I miss yours. Just what has caught my eye in the barrage. Fine specimens, each and every one.

And as far as Polaris goes, it still seems that giant insects as the people of the world are the only logical choise based on the color and style. Giant mantises, wielding those nifty assassin swords one ties in his hands (or claws in this case), fighting bear-like demons. Seems fine and dandy to me.

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