[Game Chef 2011] On This the Day of My Daughter's Wedding

[Narmical]

Michael Bonet and I are entering this year's game chef. Here is the introduction to our idea

On This, My Daughter's Wedding Day

The Story: Once mortal enemies, the nations of Lichtenstein and Luxembourg unite for the wedding of Princess Isabella of Luxembourg and the Prince of Lichtenstein. With the blessing of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the marriage is to bring peace to longtime enemies, but there are those who would see the marriage fail for their own devious purposes. The shocking revelation of Henrik, the bastard son of the Grand Duke throws the court into disarray. You play a tragedian, a member of the Grand Duke's court. On this day the Grand Duke's daughter is to be married. Who do you side with: the Grand Duke? the nation of Luxembourg? Henrik? another previously unknown player in this drama? Play out the drama that unfolds on his majesty's daughter's wedding day, but remember that in tragedy everyone is destined to die.

Introduction

This is an RPG based on Shakespearean tragedies. Players take the role of tragedians,and the "GM" is replaced by The Playwright.  This is a semi-competitive RPG where each tragedian has a Main Character and a sphere of influence that clash, secret goals that conflict, and an oath to there sovereign that they must choose to uphold or forswore. Most actions in this game are taken by one tragedian against an other's sphere of influence in pursuit of there personal goals.

Object: To pursue your secret goal and to decide if you support the Grand Duke and the Marrage plans or Hendrik and his usurping plans
Number of Players: 3 - 5 (counting GM)
Play time: 3 - 6 hours (one session)

[Wilper]

Disregarding the play time (one session) On this the Day... is the complete opposite of my idea The Daughters of Verona.  I think it is awesome to see that the theme and ingredients yield so many different cool and diverse ideas.

I'll keep an eye on this game, it will be interesting to see how you do the court intrigue.

[Narmical]

I'm a big fan of the one session. I think there are not enough one session RPGs. Probably because my friends are schedulingly challenged. (and as such i have no regular RPG group).

I took a peak at your game, yeah they are kinda opposite. Ours has a preset cast and a clear plot path; yours totally random. Our is a tragedy; yours comedy, Ours everyone dies at the end; yours everyone gets married :-P

So since you asked here is how court intrigue is going to work:

Step 1 is every player has a Main character with a secret goal. Its something like "I want Power" and they need to flesh out the details. Like what the want power over and how they will get it...

Step 2 is that players get to decide for themselves if they support the Gand Duke or Henrik

Step 3 is that each player has a sphere of influence, with there main character at the center and an inner circle and an outter circle. NPCs in your circle you can control.

Step 4 is are the influence and interrogation mechanics.  You can influence an NPC with "Honeyed Words" you roll some dice, and the outcome dictates how that NPC moves from your opponents circles to your own circles. You can also interrogate an NPC or PC your roll some dice, ask 3 questions and the dice tell you how many lies and how many truths you get, but not which specific answers were lies or truths.

Oh and Step 5 is stabbing and poisoning. You can just stab or poison an NPC or PC, no dice required. However the outcome is decided by which act it is (PCs can only die in act 5) and the GM's sense of drama.