[Mountain Witch] Trust + Fate

[timfire]

I don't expect to win the IGC, so I thought I would go ahead and ask for general opinions on my entry "The Mountain Witch." I've tweak things a little, and posted the pdf at [ http://www.geocities.com/timfire2/MountainWitch.pdf ]. (You will need to copy the address into your browser, otherwise Geocities won't let you access the page.)

In particular I had 2 questions: How do the Trust (pg 7) and Fate (pg 9) mechanics work indepently? Also, how do they work together, do the two concepts mesh well?

As you look over the text, I admit I don't have much experience designing and playing conflict-resolution based systems, so I may have made some bad assumptions in my design.

[Ron Edwards]

Hi there,

I was stalled out in reading the game last week, when I got a "not available" GeoCities link for the Fate cards. And I'm running into the same thing with the link you provided here.

Best,
Ron

[timfire]

Hmm, sorry about that. Try this link The Mountain Witch Webpage. (You should just be able to click on the link). After you go to that webpage, I have a link to the PDF.

[Emily Care]

Hey Tim,

I was able to access it fine.  I like your focused setting and dramatic structure:  Supernatural threat, in conjunction with the interpersonal conflict between the samurai and their individual struggles with their fate.

The combination of the zodiac, trust and fate makes for great potential for properly gut-wrenching twists scenes.  I am curious, though, about the fact that you can use Trust points to affect other characters without having your own character be involved.  It means that interplayer relations can be affected in ways that don't directly overlap the intercharacter interactions.  It makes it personal on the player level. Those post sessions reflection sessions on how your trust has shifted would be fascinating.  

Independent of Fate, I wonder if players would be likely to stab each other in the back.  I think you might need this, along with the Zodiac to get good intraparty conflict going.  Though, of course, it would depend on the group.

The biggest question I have is about how the dramatic stages will be brought about.  Do you have suggestions for the gm on how to pace the conflicts and to help the players bring about their fate at the appropriate time?   And many examples will be a good addition, of course.

Good job, Tim.  It's got a lot going for it.  I'm looking forward to seeing it develop.

Best,
Emily Care

[timfire]

I am curious, though, about the fact that you can use Trust points to affect other characters without having your own character be involved. It means that interplayer relations can be affected in ways that don't directly overlap the intercharacter interactions. It makes it personal on the player level. Those post sessions reflection sessions on how your trust has shifted would be fascinating.

Something I wasn't sure about was whether to require character involvement when using Trust points. In the end I thought I liked the idea of Trust being a metagame currency outside of direct character actions. I think I like how Trust is raised to the player level, or at least I think it will make for an interesting experiment.

Independent of Fate, I wonder if players would be likely to stab each other in the back. I think you might need this, along with the Zodiac to get good intraparty conflict going. Though, of course, it would depend on the group.

I agree with you. I tried to infer that back-stabbing should be a possiblity, by referring to the desperation of the characters. I didn't discuss it more because I was worried about being too heavy-handed on what the character's motivations should be. Hmmm, maybe I should try to expand that idea.

The biggest question I have is about how the dramatic stages will be brought about. Do you have suggestions for the gm on how to pace the conflicts and to help the players bring about their fate at the appropriate time?

I assume you're referring to the "acts" in the last chapter. Honestly, I had difficulty writing that chapter, and I know it needs to be developed more. I admit I don't have much advice at the moment. I guess I just assumed that the players would want to actively set-up their own Fate, and that they would just "know" when the appropriate time came. Maybe that was assuming too much, I'll continue working on that.

Maybe I'll add another question about Fate: I wrote which Fates are in play is revealed, but which Fates belong to which characters remains secret. Do y'all thinks that adds something, or do you its unneccessarily? I thought it would add some suspense if the players knew what Fates were coming, but not from which character.

Thanks!

[Emily Care]

Maybe I'll add another question about Fate: I wrote which Fates are in play is revealed, but which Fates belong to which characters remains secret. Do y'all thinks that adds something, or do you its unneccessarily? I thought it would add some suspense if the players knew what Fates were coming, but not from which character.

I think it does add something. I wonder if you could work it in via a prophecy or some such?  Foreshadowing like that is tremendously powerful in fiction. Makes the end seem that much more inevitable if it's been with you since the beginning.

yrs,
Emily Care

[Mike Holmes]

Now that I'm done judging and reading these posts, I'd like to comment. As I said in the review, I think that the fates are the main inspiration that will cause play to become what you envision when combined with Trust. That is, if/when employed, I think that it'll be neat.

The problem that I have is that there's nothing about the fates that mechanically give them any focus. I'm not saying that the Fates should require any particular action, but just that there could be some triggers in the mechanics that make the players consider thier Fates. It would be a shame if a player got wrapped up in the "adventure" and forgot to address his fate. Similar to how people forget to use their Confessionals in InSpectres sometimes. It's a missed opportunity, especially in a game like this that's going to tend to be very one-shot.

Mike

[timfire]

uh-oh, 2 threads running simultaneously! ;)

Thanks for your comments, Mike. Over in the other thread, I suggest the possibility that players must resolve their Fates before they are allowed to directly confront the Mountain Witch. Do you think that would be adaquate, or would even harder mechanics be preferable?

Also, if y'all don't mind, how about future responses be made made in the other thread. Hopefully that'll prevent some confusion from jumping back and forth between threads.