I'm working on a game of "epic narrative fantasy roleplaying" that I'm calling Rune Saga. I'm in the process of revising the rules in the aftermath of a playtest-by-email session. In order to guide my efforts, I've written a lengthy "example of play" to demonstrate what I envision going on in the game.

Here's the URL:

http://www.personal.psu.edu/staff/w/j/wjw11/rune_saga/Example_of_Play.pdf

The game in outline works like this: Players create characters that fit into a setting designed by the referee by interpreting tarot-like cards called Runes that also have meanings when paired (thus, a pair of runes forms a glyph that has a particular meaning as well). Each rune card has a sign (its face value, basically A-H) and a sigil (its suit, Swords, Coins, Stars, or Staves).

During a turn, players throw down cards and interpret them as actions, events, or encounters in the game world; the referee acts as the hand of fate (Demiurgical Mediator or Gestalt Maintainer ;-), drawing or throwing down cards in response to player action (except when players are responding to each other, either competitively or cooperatively), in accordance with rules of card play.

The play of cards and their interaction gives Fortune dice (to players) or Fate dice (to the referee).

At the end of a round of card play, players roll dice and the high roller (a) gets to interpret the "governing glyph" of an action, and (b) gets the difference in Fate/Fortune points with which to enact consequences in the game world.

My questions are these:

(1) Were you me, what things would you worry about in writing up the rules? I mean, what should I work hardest to explain?

(2) Does the game-play seem like it could actually work in a face-to-face setting?