"Nemesis" rules for The Pool

[Kenway]

"Nemesis" rules for The Pool
   Here's a Pool implementation of "Advancement via Notoriety" and "PC-summoned foes" discussed elsewhere on The Forge.

   *SETTINGS THIS WOULD WORK IN
   These rules were originally invented for a generic D&D world, with recurring evil villains, but something more focused would definitely help.  More work to be done here.
   Forge discussion has suggested:
   -Valamir:  Hercules the Legendary Journeys, etc.  "In these the "code" of the hero means that the enemy is rarely killed when defeated. After a few season a regular cast of recycled villains and fallen warlords would make reappearances."
   -Mike:  "BTW, to enforce the metagame, you could design a setting in which people cannot kill each other, but can only "vanqish". For example, this would totally make sense in Cyberspace or in a fantasy world where the Bad Guys could be ressurected by their dark magic."

   NOTORIETY
   The PC party gains a new addition to their character sheet:  NEMESES, each of which has an accompanying NEMESIS VALUE.
   eg.   Goblin Raiders, 3
      Mitzsch the Black Dragon, 5
   It is suggested that a party will have about 5 Nemeses max.

   PC-SUMMONED FOES
   Any time PC's want some more Pool Dice, they (or the GM) narrates in one of their Nemeses and receive their Nemesis Value in Pool Dice.

   THE NEMESIS IN PLAY
   A nemesis is typically only vanquished to return again at a later time.
   Each time a Nemesis is defeated, their Value increases, reflecting their increased effort at revenge, their calling in of extra reinforcements, etc.

   BUYING OFF FOES PERMANENTLY
   To remove a Nemesis permanently, which in play will most likely mean to kill them, a PC pays the Nemesis Value in Pool Dice.

   *ADVANCEMENT VIA NOTORIETY- XP-ish
   This ties in Nemeses and their Values to traits.
   Each time a Nemesis increases in value, ie. is defeated, one PC gains a Pool Die that is *only* used towards advancement as described in "The Continuing Story" rules in The Pool.

[James V. West]

I dig the "Hercules" idea. I was thinking something similar as I read the message you sent the other day. Something like an episodic, TV-style game where the villains never go away, and the good guys never stop fighting them (until the last season, of course).

Doing it in that episodic format would also give you a great excuse to reset low Pools.

[Rich Forest]

Hi Kenway,

I think this would work with superheroes as well, specifically the "goody-goody" types who don't kill their enemies.  

Also, your own idea of applying it to something cyberpunk influenced would work too, since (if I'm remembering it right), you were talking about the telling the stories in the Net, where beating a nemesis might be interpreted as just temporarily forcing them offline.  

Hmmm.  One more-- I think this could be really interesting in a setting focused on courtiers and Machiavellian double-dealing within the court and high society, where the conflicts are social and the nemeses are always close by.

Rich Forest