Topic: Thread of life (early work in progress)
Started by: Negilent
Started on: 12/15/2004
Board: Indie Game Design
On 12/15/2004 at 3:45pm, Negilent wrote:
Thread of life (early work in progress)
I know this is going to sound cheesy but a friend of mine has been hashing out his system and then he came to me.
We've been bouncing some ideas back and forth and the only concept we've truly agreed on is the Thread of Life idea below.
Systemwise it looks like a mix between karma and fortune in the middle. Dice mechanics lending a lot from Luke Crane's BW system (which we both are great fans of). This has lead to whole different dilemma.
I am trying to push the game towards narrativistic, but he is struggeling with letting sim go completely. But we are looking at a fantasy system, heavily influenced by fate.
Therefor the following mechanic which will be the backbone of the whole game. This is a scalable mechanic used from campaign outset (number of knots set by GM), through character creation to character death.
here's our thoughts so far:
Thread of Life:
PCs are marked by fate and their thread of life is spun.
The length of this thread has been decided a long time ago.
*system wise this means that each PC has a given number of knots on this thread. These knots can be traded in to survive horrible calamities, during character generation to get higher abilities, ect.
*When the character has filled each knot his Thread of Life is cut. He either dies outright or gets to set up the scene where he dies.
*Cutting deals with demons and gods can extend this thread. The deal having a price and then offering further knots to fill (which can be revoked should the PC break the deal, with subsequent problems).
*A character might even sell knots for favors to these beings (immortality, and other nifty tricks.)
very much early work in progress, but whadda ya think?
-k
On 12/15/2004 at 5:31pm, Troy_Costisick wrote:
RE: Thread of life (early work in progress)
Heya,
Which aspect of Sim is your friend having trouble letting go?
Peace,
-Troy
On 12/21/2004 at 2:28pm, Negilent wrote:
RE: Thread of life (early work in progress)
sorry for the slow reply.
Troy wrote: Which aspect of Sim is your friend having trouble letting go?
He feels that NAR leaves too much to the imagination. (if such a thing is possible in a make-belive world). He wants more crunchieness in combat.
we've played DitV, he's made his sorceror for the game with the same title. And he has had fun. But it dosen't take into the account the level of strategy and available options he wants. Burning Wheel works for him, TROS becomes too detailed with its damage tables.
So what I think he is looking for is NAR play with Sim combat. I've wished him good luck. But this is his baby and all I can do is to try to steer him in my (read a NAR) direction.
So what else have we agreed on?
Attributes.
Three (or four) attributes with three aspects.
Attribute - aspect aspect aspect
• Physical - strength agility fortitude
• Mental - strength agility fortitude
• Social - strength agility fortitude
• (Spirit) - strength agility fortitude
The whole idea being that the player chooses how his character approaches any task resolution. Will he use his physical agility to strike his foe, or his mental agility to do the same. Or is it his force of will that carries him through (mental strength).
At work will post more later.