Crunchy chargen questions, mostly Zu-ish.

[Doyce]

Just a few.

I'm working on an introductory test-run of TSoY with one of my player groups, cuz we've been pussyfooting around for awhile and haven't really decided what we wanted to do and it finally occured to me that TSoY would suit them right down to the ground.

I was totally right. They love the rules. They love the setting. I will say more about this and provide their awesome characters when they get them completely finished, but highlights include them jumping right in and coming up with a bunch of new Secrets (yes, I'll get em on the wiki) without even stopping to say 'is this alright? am I allowed to do this?'

It did generate some questions though, mostly surrounding Zu.

One of the characters had a Zumeni die on him and, with their final breath, give up their Zu.  The character's figured out what's happened and has taken the Key of the Mission, because he wants to find someone to give these Zu to, cuz he doesn't WANT them.  Cool.

1. Is it cool to start off with the Secret of Zu?  The player thought they'd read something about not being able to start the game with it, but I read everything I could and all I could find was (a) you haven't killed anyone and (b) you've heard someone use the Zu around you.  Check.  Pre-game-events, but Check. Right?

2. Let's say the character now wants to use some advances to actually acquire the Zu that they know.  They do this.   How many 'zu' do they get?

I know. One.

But ... okay, a better question, how many APPLICATIONS do they get? A zu actually has three different applications: as in Fire/Burn/Hot.

So... if I take Secret of Zu, and then I take the Zu for "honey"... do I only have the 'Honey' application, or do I have "honey/stick/sweet"?

3. Those meta-game Keys on the wiki... has anyone used them?  I've got one player who's dying to take one of them, and while I see their point, I also don't love that they're 'wasting' an advance on something that doesn't tell me more about their character.  Thoughts?

[James_Nostack]

Hi Doyce!

1.  To the best of my recollection there's no law against starting off with the Secret of Zu, though as you point out it presupposes certain events happening in the backstory.

2.  My understanding is that they would gain all three applications per advance.  At least, when we had two characters battle for control of a Zu word in the sample game that's how we played it, and Clinton didn't contradict us.

3.  So far as I know the meta-game keys haven't been used... but then, there's not a lot of TSOY actual play threads yet.  I guess it depends on how you want to handle your social contract stuff.

4.  Thanks a lot for providing space for the wiki by the way--as you know, I've been going overboard over there.  If any of the stuff I've posted proves useful, or is dreadfully imbalanced, please let me know!

[Clinton R. Nixon]

1. Is it cool to start off with the Secret of Zu?  The player thought they'd read something about not being able to start the game with it, but I read everything I could and all I could find was (a) you haven't killed anyone and (b) you've heard someone use the Zu around you.  Check.  Pre-game-events, but Check. Right?

Yep. And it establishes something about the character.

2. Let's say the character now wants to use some advances to actually acquire the Zu that they know.  They do this.   How many 'zu' do they get?

I know. One.

But ... okay, a better question, how many APPLICATIONS do they get? A zu actually has three different applications: as in Fire/Burn/Hot.

So... if I take Secret of Zu, and then I take the Zu for "honey"... do I only have the 'Honey' application, or do I have "honey/stick/sweet"?

All applications.

3. Those meta-game Keys on the wiki... has anyone used them?  I've got one player who's dying to take one of them, and while I see their point, I also don't love that they're 'wasting' an advance on something that doesn't tell me more about their character.  Thoughts?

I'm seriously not a fan of these.