Hi all

Given some of the discussion on the forum, I'm thinking of chucking out the 'xp' model of character development based on learning new skills, instead going for thematic development. After all, does James Bond seem to get better at shooting from movie to movie? Quite the opposite sometimes, look at the drop in seduction ability when Roger Moore took over.

Anyway, in rough form, here is the outline of the idea:

Soundtracks

A soundtrack based around one central theme, such as revenge, chivalry or defiance of authority. Within a soundtrack you can develop individual tracks sub categories of this general theme (with a rating of one to three). Soundtracks can come from a diverse set of drives, passions, motivations or ideas as long as they are arranged under a broad umbrella - just think about “Sexy Disco Hits” or “Trucking Songs of the Ozarks”.

Some examples of soundtracks:

Stickin’ it to the man
A knight in tarnished armour
The ladies’ man
A killer with class
Underdog’s revenge

The soundtrack comes into play whenever the themes are echoed by the characters’ situation. A player may elect to use the soundtrack to boost their chances of success, the overcome setbacks or to bluff their way when all else fails. It is very important that the player can justify why the track, and the soundtrack generally is relevant for that situation.

You can do the following with tracks (assign a tally to the track to use it):

<sum> Reroll one dice
<sum> When checking fixed expertise values, increase the expertise by one
<sum> Remove one tally from an expertise
<sum> Use the track’s value instead of a talent when calculating an expertise
<sum> Add an edge or remove an edge from an opponent (eg you may have guns, but we have rage)

If appropriate the character can give a rousing speech and transfer the benefit to another person, the person owning the soundtrack still has to make the tally.

Soundtracks are developed from session to session. After each game session each player gets one ‘hit’ which can be used to add a track to a soundtrack, or to increase the rank of an existing track by one. Tracks should be kept general enough to use in different situations and by different characters of a similar inclination (see below).

So a Fight the System Soundtrack might include:
<sum> There’s a riot goin’ on (3)
<sum> United we stand (2)
<sum> Shady deals (2)
<sum> Stick it to authority figures (1)
<sum> Protect my family (1)

You may wish to use real song titles from the period to give your soundtrack flavour, although some might need subtitles to clarify what they actually mean (eg Bohemian Rhapsody could be a track for ‘friends in crooked places’, ‘teamwork’ or ‘ponderous art’). You may wish to do this anyway, to clarify what cool sounding tracks are actually good for. If you have access to a cd burner or even a tapedeck, make yourself a compilation for play.

A beginning player will have a single soundtrack with one track, ranked at level one.

The Soundtrack is owned by the player, not the character. Thus it can continue to be developed once a character has died, or when the player plays different characters as long as they have some kind of thematic resonance, even if it reflects a previously unknown or unlikely aspect of the character. The Ref may wish to run a session where everyone plays henchfolk or ordinary people – the soundtrack applies as usual.

The ref has soundtracks of their own, keyed to overall story themes or the passions of villains. Unlike players, they can use multiple soundtracks at the same time (3 is a good starting number, with a track in each) and get to assign one hit per player at the end of a session. If at some point someone else takes over the Ref role (if only for a break), the original Ref can choose one of their soundtracks to play with.

There is nothing to stop players having more than one soundtrack and choosing which one to “put on” during a game session. Likewise, players might like to exchange soundtracks from time to time, provided that everyone is down with it.

Example: Bob 'The Discobobulator' Murdoch

Leave it to the Team (ST)
The girls are on the ball (1)

Bob wants his soundtrack to reflect his position as the guardian angel to his group of lovely assistants. He would like the theme to help them in their actions, rather than apply to him directly. The Ref rules that ‘teamwork’ is an appropriate theme which could be useful to both The Disco Girls and Bob’s fellow players. As a first track Bob selects “the girls are on the ball” which he explains as a general alertness, to spot clues and be wary of assassins. Given that these are hench characters and hairdressers rather than rocket scientists, Bob thinks they need all the forensic help they can get.

For further tracks Bob may select Clued in (to give access to information sources), Don’t underestimate us (for those who do),


Further Soundtrack examples:

It’s Payback (revenge for a specific wrongdoing in the past)
You never shoulda messed with me
This is for my brother (or whoever)
Stand down little sister, you don’t want to become like me
Stoic to the last

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. (Women proving they can do it better than any man)
Don’t you be sticking your tongue in my ear
Get your hands off me
I don’t care who you are
Sisters united

Danger Man (risky stunts and outlandish risks)
Just another day on the job (improvise skills)
Merely a scratch
…And loving it
I’m sexy when I sweat

Shag Pile Songs (Make luuurv, not war)
Get down with me, baby
Me and my groovy companions
My face opens any door downtown
Don’t hit me, I’m too beautiful

Best Kept Secrets (espionage and deceit)
Bug paranoid
You can tell me, I won’t spill the beans
So secret I don’t even tell myself
Good with combinations

Mean Streets (urban chivalry in the Hammett/Chandler line)
Incorruptible
I will find your guilty secrets
I know a guy in the bad part of town who owes me one
Bad guys always sell each other out

Funked Up Cosmic Jive (Mystic secrets ala Parliament)
Clear your uptight mind
Unlocking mysterious secrets
Call in the men from F.U.N.K.L.E.
Let your mind go and your body will follow

Music for World Domination (good for megalomaniacs)
The Man who Sold the World
Disposable henchmen
My new device
I laugh at certain death

Don’t look at my face! (the thematic power of disfigurement)
A handicap becomes a weapon
You did this to me
They laughed at me and said it couldn’t be done.
Soft spot for a hard-up case

scobie, that is really tight. I'd play that in a second, that sounds like fun.
Do it man, you are definitely on the right track [no pun intended].

Jeff