Topic: Injury, Re-rolls, and Rewards
Started by: John Harper
Started on: 8/5/2005
Board: Stranger Things Playtest Forum
On 8/5/2005 at 7:09pm, John Harper wrote:
Injury, Re-rolls, and Rewards
Here's a crazy idea I had about Injury and related systems.
First, the basic system:
When you fail a RE-ROLL, you mark a Hurt box. The boxes look like this:
Injured: [ ] [ ]
Incapacitated: [ ]
(that's two Injured boxes and one Incapacitated)
So far, so good. This is just like Trollbabe. Fail three re-rolls, and you're out.
Now, the crazy part:
- When a player calls for a conflict and loses, mark an Injury box (in addition to any suffered from re-rolls, as normal).
- When a player calls for a conflict and wins, refresh one re-roll item.
- When the Director calls for a conflict, and the Stranger loses, refresh one re-roll item.
- When the Director calls for a conflict, and the Stranger wins, heal one Injury box.
Whaddya think of that business? It adds a reward layer to conflicts, and also makes the conflict-caller (player or director) matter in a small way.
Does that break anything? Anyone object to it for some other reason? I think it's an interesting layer to add.
On 8/5/2005 at 8:33pm, Clinton R. Nixon wrote:
Re: Injury, Re-rolls, and Rewards
John,
Remember that the strength of the game is simplicity. This sounds eerily complex. But remember, I'm part of the Trollbabe orthodoxy, so whadda I know?
It does totally break the idea that you'll get three re-rolls. If you're already injured, you won't. Also, there's no disincentive to taking that last roll - you'll be hurt again if you don't, anyway, so why not?
On 8/5/2005 at 9:14pm, demiurgeastaroth wrote:
RE: Re: Injury, Re-rolls, and Rewards
John wrote:
Here's a crazy idea I had about Injury and related systems.
First, the basic system:
When you fail a RE-ROLL, you mark a Hurt box. The boxes look like this:
Injured: [ ] [ ]
Incapacitated: [ ]
(that's two Injured boxes and one Incapacitated)
So far, so good. This is just like Trollbabe. Fail three re-rolls, and you're out.
Technically, in trollbabe, you fail two rerolls, and you're out. The third reroll then determines who says how you're out.
- When a player calls for a conflict and loses, mark an Injury box (in addition to any suffered from re-rolls, as normal).
- When a player calls for a conflict and wins, refresh one re-roll item.
- When the Director calls for a conflict, and the Stranger loses, refresh one re-roll item.
- When the Director calls for a conflict, and the Stranger wins, heal one Injury box.
Hmm, I'm not sure it's needed, and as Clinton says, it's a bit fiddly.
Personally, I think the conflict system has an in-built reward mechanism: if you win, you get the outcome you desired; if you lose, you get directorial control. I doubt more than that is needed.
Why do you want to include a reward mechanism in conflict? Do you think the existing resources (hurt boxes, rerolls) are too low?
I do think rerolls and injury boxes can run low in some sessions (though rerolls are less of a problem if you've built up relationships). One tense conflict can wipe out your hurt boxes - but the next scene you are already 2 boxes better off, so it's not that serious really.
In Strangest Things, you've added the ability to call for Recovery scenes - giving them a bit more oomph, allowing them to recover hurt levels and reroll boxes simultaneously might do the trick. I'm thinking of those Dying Earth/TSOY Pool Refreshment activities.
On 8/5/2005 at 11:01pm, John Harper wrote:
RE: Re: Injury, Re-rolls, and Rewards
Yeah, you're probably right. I'm stuck at work and my energy is being directed into needless rules wrangling.
I totally agree about the Dying Earth/TSOY refreshment thing. That's the vibe I'm going for.
On 8/5/2005 at 11:29pm, Matt Wilson wrote:
RE: Re: Injury, Re-rolls, and Rewards
Dude, real game designers never do needless rules wrangling.
Except while they're at Taco Del Mar.