ReCoil: Mechanics, part 1

[Lance D. Allen]

I can see your points, and I will definitely consider them. However...

a) No starting skills skills will be vastly different, as they are capped at 4.
b) Conviction is a trait I see as being highly fluid, moving up and down multiple times per session. I may even allow some sort of voluntary spending down of Conviction for specific purposes in the game, such as perhaps a free (as in, not from the Mortis Pool) refill of the character's Mortis.

The Conviction trait is still probably the most loosely defined in my mind, because I want to make it highly important to the game..

Okay, brainstorm briefly, before my fatigued mind loses it.

Conviction can only be gained by meeting the raise breakpoint condition. Players will actively want to meet this breakpoint condition. In most cases, this will mean conflict, which should encourage the player to create their own conflicts. It is important to have a high Conviction because (still theoretical) it makes it easier to advance stats. Maybe. Likewise it is important, because the ways to lower Conviction outnumber the ways to raise it. First off is the lower breakpoint condition. Players will actively avoid this. Next, each time one of the character's traits is improved, it costs a point of Conviction in addition to the expenditure of whatever points are required. Finally, a single point of Conviction can be spent to totally refill the character's Mortis trait.

For this last, it might occur to some that it could essentially be done for free. If Morph were to blow his Mortis points stopping a convenience store robbery, he could spend the Conviction point he'd just earned by doing this to refill his Mortis.

And that's perfectly acceptable, and is in fact, encouraged.

I'm tired, just got in from a trying night at work, so I'm sure there are so many holes in this post that swiss cheese would be jealous. I'm sure you'll obligingly point them out to me, and I'll try to address them when I'm better rested.

[Mike Holmes]

For this last, it might occur to some that it could essentially be done for free. If Morph were to blow his Mortis points stopping a convenience store robbery, he could spend the Conviction point he'd just earned by doing this to refill his Mortis.

And that's perfectly acceptable, and is in fact, encouraged.

Hmm. I worry about tight circles like this. Will the rolls make this uncertain? If it's a gamble, it's cool. If it's certain, then that's probably a problem.

Mike

[Lance D. Allen]

Hm, wow. I seem to have missed this.

Do you think it'll be that much of an issue, Mike? I blatantly stole the idea of Conviction being a helpful stat from TRoS, obviously, but put my own spin on it, because even with only one "SA" the comparative levels would make just adding dice be too much.

Okay, a couple variant ideas, then.

1. Conviction can be spent to refill Mortis, as described below, but it can only be done with a point just earned, and it must be done immediately upon earning it. This will still have the tight circles you mentioned, but it would keep it from being used too often, and only when the character is doing something important to them.  

2. Conviction can be spent to refill Mortis, but the process goes as follows: Dice equal to the Conviction level before the point is spent are rolled, against a TN of (either Paradigm, or I'm actually considering making the TN equal to the current Conviction. would make higher conviction a double-edged sword... but eh.) the successes are added to Mortis.

I dunno. I can't see it being too much of a problem, but then I've not had as much experience with this sort of mechanic as some, not even with TRoS.. I'm a staunch supporter, but it's been hard to get a game going.

[Mike Holmes]

I don't see it as a huge problem, and your ideas should make it a non-issue. But that's just a guess. The only real way to determine how effective (or problematic) mechanics like this are, is to playtest. You're getting very close to needing that, I think. A little more general flesh, and some writing to solid it all up, and a playtest will be the only way to proceed, IMO.

Mike