[Lands & Stones] Gambling In-Character -> The 10 minute solution

[Sebastian K. Hickey]

Hello,

I've written up the first draft of a prototype for a pretty basic, cross platform, In-Character gambling solution.  It's called Lands & Stones.

Game Idea
Marbles + Cards + Maps of salty looking islands

How it works
The game features three printable maps (wait... does that mean it's a board game...?).  In turns, you chuck dice, trying to land the dice onto the 'land' areas of the maps.  You use ALL the dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20).  You also get a couple of randomly dealt playing cards.

The Cards
...allow you to:

...wait a sec.  Am I posting in the right place?  Do we discuss board games here?  I thought, well, because it's more like a tool to be used for gamers who are already roleplaying, then, you know, it'd be acceptable/okay/tolerated.  But... well, is there another site I should be using?

[Vulpinoid]

Sounds like a cool idea, I'd like to hear more.

If you're really worried about the suitability for this topic here at the Forge, why not tell us a bit about how you'd like to see the gambling reflect on the play experience (whether within the narrative or with respect to other mechanisms inherent in your game).

V

[Sebastian K. Hickey]

That sounds appropriate.

I'd like a gambling module that can be plugged into any straight roleplaying session.  I'd like it to be a mini-game that keeps the gamers in character, but sits outside of connotation.  I'd also like it to be a social event that players and characters can enjoy in tandem.

Synergy
Example:  Friendly PCs want to wind down after some action.  They hit the bar, take stock, make plans, talk about their wives, whatever.  Somewhere along the line, they decide to play some cards.  In a situation like this, maybe you don't want a contest.  Maybe just a roll of dice, or comparing of stats is enough.  But sometimes PCs just want to hang out, as PCs, doing something together.  This kind of transfer of character, a kind of porting from one social medium to another, can be a great tool.  Think about any time you've ported the gaming table to the dinner table and continued the game with knives and forks.  Or taken a tabletop character sheet to a LARP.  Or played civilisation on your computer from the perspective of the players' nemeses.  You start enjoying two things at once, normally separate, and it can strengthen the feeling of immersion.

The only problem is that once you break out the poker deck, often the synergy is torn.  Apart from handicaps and other systemic problems, poker and other gambling forms also have their own social baggage.  To get the PCs enjoying the gambling experience, I'd like to strip away these connotations.  Best way I can see for doing that is by improvising some whacky gambling system, or by using something someone else has already tested.

Lands & Stones
That's where Lands & Stones comes in, I suppose.

Before I hand this over for comment, there's also the issue of time.  Can I build a game that generates tension, but can be played in under 10 minutes?  In a four hour session, that's about the roof for the time budget.

[JoyWriter]

If they are playing the game in character, how do you see that appearing? On one side I was imagining that players could roll for their character trying to sneak a look at another characters hand, and on the other I tried to picture the tactical consequences of playing a game in character as someone more or less intelligent than you.

I'm sure there are boardgame design communities out there, couldn't recommend one though.

[Sebastian K. Hickey]

I'm sure there are boardgame design communities out there, couldn't recommend one though.

Look, sorry if this is off topic.  I'll answer those questions/points and then I'll find some place else.

I tried to picture the tactical consequences of playing a game in character as someone more or less intelligent than you.

That's the biggest problem, apart from time, with the usual gambling games.  In Lands & Stones, most of the 10 minute game is 'marbles with dice', so it's fairly random.  There are power cards which temper the influence of chance.  At the start of the game, great, intelligent gamblers draw lots of cards, and stupid characters draw few.  Great gamblers don't play roulette, and freshmen put too much faith in long odds.  This is the Handicap.  Like any handicap, once it's in place you don't have to worry about 'playing down' to the enemy.  So no curbing of tactics will be required. 

If they are playing the game in character, how do you see that appearing?

I presume you mean apart from the silly accents, camaraderie, and interpersonal history flying around the table, what does the game do to encourage in character play?  Perhaps the trading rule.  Characters can trade their power cards at any time, so they are encouraged to bear old grudges or alliances in this regard.  I also think that the purpose-use, in-character-gambling-game, nature of the beast would be a strong unspoken indicator that in character play is what we're looking for.  I've never got that from normal gambling games.  I think it's part of that meta-gaming issue.

sneak a look at another characters hand

I hadn't thought about cheating yet.  Have you got any suggestions?  I'd like to keep the game fairly modular (in that I'd prefer to keep the rules bracketed from the normal procedures of conflict resolution).  Any ideas anyone?  If you want this thread CLOSED and put at the back of the shelf, please tell me straight.  Because of the hybrid RPG/boardgame goal of Lands & Stones, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to discuss this game on this forum.  I suppose it is essentially a boardgame though.  Right?

If you do have suggestions for cheating, please could you get in touch with me via Private Message?  You will get much kudos.  I'll do some playtesting for you or something.  Or I'll buy your game.  Come on, you know you want to.

[chronoplasm]

Hello,

Hi!

How it works
The game features three printable maps (wait... does that mean it's a board game...?).  In turns, you chuck dice, trying to land the dice onto the 'land' areas of the maps.  You use ALL the dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20).  You also get a couple of randomly dealt playing cards.

Do you chuck the dice so that they literally land onto the 'land' areas, or are the 'land' areas numbered and you have to try and roll those numbers with the dice?

Where do the marbles come in?

[Sebastian K. Hickey]

Yes, you literally have to chuck the dice onto the land areas.  You can also knock other people's dice off of the land areas.  That's where the marbles come in.

However, there is also a clause that if the number rolled on the dice is very high, the dice gets promoted.  In other words, if you miss the land with your d20, but when it finally stops, it shows a 20, the dice gets moved into the 'Village', a small safe area in the middle of one of the islands.

This way it's possible to 'roll' your way onto land even if you're bad at marbles.